Root Canal Therapy - Las Cruces, NM
Don’t Be Afraid to Stop Your Toothache
There are few, if any, dental treatments that put patients on edge more than root canals. At Painted Skies Dental Center, we want to put your mind at ease. Root canal therapy will actually significantly relieve pain and protect smiles from unnecessary tooth extraction. Root canals are recommended when dental decay or damage reaches the innermost layer of the teeth called pulp. The entire nerve system of the tooth is housed within the pulp, and when decay or damage accesses the nerve, the result is severe pain and dental sensitivity that often precede root canal therapy, earning it a bad reputation. When we provide root canal therapy in our Las Cruces, NM dental office, patients experience significant pain relief, and these treatments often allow our team to save a tooth that may otherwise need to be extracted. If you’re experiencing symptoms that may precede root canal therapy, please call our Las Cruces dental team right away. We’ll discuss your symptoms over the phone, and if you likely need root canal treatment, we’ll get you in to see our team right away.
Why Choose Painted Skies Dental Center for Root Canal Therapy?
- State of the Art Dental Technology
- A Talented Husband and Wife Team
Do I Need a Root Canal?
To know for sure that you need root canal therapy, you need to visit our Las Cruces dental office for an exam. However, most root canal treatments begin as dental emergencies, so you should call right away if you notice any of these symptoms:
- Severe toothache, especially stabbing pain when biting down or a dull, constant ache.
- Lingering dental sensitivity when the tooth is exposed to heat or cold.
- Dark coloring on one tooth, especially near the gum line.
- Inflammation or infection of the gums around a single tooth.
- Other symptoms of infection, including fever, nausea, and aches.
What Should I Expect During Root Canal Therapy?
Most patients expect root canal therapy to be painful, but actually, you’ll likely feel much better after the procedure. We begin by numbing the area around the tooth. Then, we drill from the top of the tooth into the pulp. The dentist removes the pulp and nerve tissue. The tooth is refilled with a biocompatible substance called gutta percha. The access hole is resealed, and in most cases, we also place a dental crown to protect and strengthen the root canal treated tooth.
How Long Will It Take for Me to Recover?
You may experience some mild discomfort following root canal treatment, but most patients report experiencing much less pain than they did prior to treatment. If there is severe infection in the tooth or surrounding tissue, you may need to complete antibiotic treatment as well. Pain should be significantly diminished or gone within 48 hours of treatment. If you continue to have sharp pains or dental sensitivity, contact our team right away. We may need to provide retreatment to save your tooth.