When bacteria invades a tooth, trouble soon follows. Maybe a tooth decays, or if conditions are right, the interior pulp becomes infected and inflamed, resulting in horrible toothache. At Baldwin Dental Group in Madisonville, KY, your family dentists, Dr. Stuart Baldwin and Dr. Ben Baldwin, save severely compromised teeth with root canal therapy. A straightforward, two-visit procedure, a root can heal and protect a tooth so you can keep it for life.
What is a root canal treatment?
Performed in its entirety at Baldwin Dental Group, a root canal treatment removes the soft pulp which resides in tooth's interior chamber and slender canals which occupy each root. Your Madisonville, KY, family dentist will review your symptoms and examine and X-ray your tooth to determine if this restorative service is your best option.
Common symptoms which indicate you need a root canal are:
- An obvious and large chip or crack
- Darkened tooth enamel
- A pimple at the gum line
- Throbbing pain
- Jaw and/or gum swelling
- Extensive decay
- Several fillings, or fillings which are in poor condition
- Extreme dental sensitivity to heat, cold, pressure, or sugar
When possible, Dr. Baldwin prefers root canal treatment to tooth extraction to avoid the problems associated with tooth loss (a smile gap, degraded gum and bone, poor biting and chewing and weakening of adjoining teeth). Plus, research from the American Association of Endodontists indicates that root canal therapy preserves teeth for years--even for the rest of the patient's life.
How it all works
Your family dentist will numb your tooth and place a rubber dam around it to protect the rest of your mouth from debris and infection. This device also keeps the area dry as he works.
Then, Dr. Baldwin uses a high-speed drill to create an opening into the first root canal. (Larger teeth have up to four root canals.) Through the hole, he introduces small files or a rotary endodontic tool to remove the damaged pulp. Also, he cleans and disinfects the canals, filling each with putty called gutta-percha.
After restoring each canal, the family dentist places a protective temporary cap over the tooth. You'll heal for a week or so and then return to the office for placement of a beautiful and realistic porcelain crown.
Your renewed tooth needs no special care. Just brush twice daily, and floss every day. See Dr. Baldwin for your usual semi-annual examination and hygienic cleaning.
Concerned about a tooth?
Don't hesitate to contact Baldwin Dental Group for an appointment. Dr. Stuart Baldwin, Dr. Ben Baldwin and their caring team will work hard to help you and that tooth feel better fast. Phone (270) 245-1547 for an appointment in Madisonville, KY.