Fullerton Dentistry: Why Would You Need a Root Canal Due to a Cavity?

Root Canals from cavities. Perhaps you consider yourself great at taking care of your teeth. Brushing and flossing is part of your daily regimen. But, one day at your dental visit your Fullerton dentist discovers that you have a cavity that has progressed all the way to the nerve of your tooth and needs a root canal to save the tooth.

What is a root canal? Root canal therapy (endodontic therapy) is a treatment that is used to save the tooth by removing inflamed or infected nerve tissue and blood vessels inside one’s tooth, the pulp chamber. Many patients fear root canals due to the misconception that this type of treatment is extremely painful, but most often this is not the case with Fullerton dental care. You wonder about your situation and say to the best Fullerton dentist “I haven’t been having any pain, so why do I need a root canal?” The need for a root canal is diagnosed by the Fullerton Family dentist and is usually signaled with one of several symptoms which can range from a simple lingering sensitivity, constant ache, throbbing, pain on chewing, and a recurring abcess on the side of the gums next to the tooth in question. On some occasions you can have no symptoms whatsoever.

During the root canal therapy, the inflamed or infected pulp is removed and the interior of the tooth structure is disinfected and cleaned of diseased and infected tissue and then filled with a rubber-like material called gutta percha to seal the tooth from further infection. After completion of the root canal with our Fullerton family dentist, the tooth is crowned to restore the shape, size, and function of the tooth as before.

To schedule a root canal procedure with Dr. Ryoo, contact us today to schedule an appointment.