A tooth’s nerve is a tiny little piece of tissue that travels through the center of your tooth and receives signals from your brain. Those signals allow your tooth to feel hot and cold and to tell you when you have eaten or been in the sun.

When a tooth’s nerve becomes infected or inflamed, it can cause pain and swelling. Your dentist in Sarasota may recommend a root canal to remove infection and protect the tooth from damage.

A root canal is a dental procedure that treats the interior of a tooth. This involves removing the nerve and other tissues inside your tooth, cleaning it, sealing it, and then restoring it to function.

Almost all teeth have a hollow space in the center, called the pulp chamber. This contains the nerve, blood vessels and other soft tissue. Your dentist cleans and disinfects this hollow space in your tooth during a root canal treatment.

Your dentist will also remove any infected or diseased pulp tissue in your tooth. This can be done using a special tool or by hand. Then, your dentist will fill and seal the area with a material to keep out bacteria and protect the tooth from further decay.

Before performing a root canal, your dentist will take an x-ray of the tooth to determine the exact location of the infected or damaged tissue. If the infected area is too far away from the pulp, it will be more difficult to access. This can lead to more complicated, painful or unsuccessful treatments.

Infection and inflammation within the tooth can be caused by a number of factors, including trauma to your tooth, deep cavity or fracture, or severe decay. Your dentist may recommend antibiotics before beginning a root canal to decrease the risk of infection spreading to other parts of your body and improve your healing after the procedure.

The pain and discomfort associated with a root canal is usually temporary. You should be able to bite and chew normally again after a day or two.

When you need a root canal, your dentist will numb the area to reduce your discomfort. This will include applying a local anesthetic and using a drill to make an access hole.

Once the infected or diseased area has been removed, your dentist will use a rubbery substance to fill and seal the empty root canals. Sometimes a small post is placed in the root canals for additional support and to help keep the gutta-percha in place.

A root canal is a long process that can take up to three visits. At each visit, your dentist will numb your tooth with local anesthesia, clean the root canals and prepare the tooth for the next step of the procedure. For more information and free consultation, visit https://www.thesarasotadentist.net/root-canals/.

Once the canals are cleaned, sealed and filled, your dentist will apply a crown to protect your tooth from further damage and ensure it functions as usual. The crown will match the shape of your tooth and will be made in our office.