What is Root Canal Treatment?

Our teeth have 3 layers. The outer layer is enamel, which protects the tooth, the second layer is dentin, and this layer has some nerves. The inner most layer is dental pulp, which has blood vessels and nerves. When dental cavities extend to the Pulp of a tooth, this causes dental abscess.

If the dental cavity is not extensive enough to warrant removal of a tooth also called dental extraction, a root canal treatment is recommended. Root canal treatment enables the patient to save the tooth. This procedure is usually performed by your general dentist, family dentist, or endodontist. The patient is placed on antibiotics prior to the root canal treatment.

The tooth is numbed using local anesthetic. At Carrollton Smiles, Dr. Sirisha Bhandaru offers dental sedation and laughing gas, also called Nitrous Oxide to reduce patient anxiety and increase comfort during the appointment. Dr. Bhandaru uses rubber dam to isolate the tooth from the rest of the mouth to prevent contamination from saliva which increases the chance of success for root canal treatment.

The infected nerve of the tooth is removed and the root canal treatment is completed using inert material called gutta percha. It is very important to place a crown over a tooth with root canal treatment to prevent fracture of the tooth. Failure to get a dental crown in a timely fashion will lead to failure of the root canal treatment.

Root canal treatment can be an expensive procedure which can be avoided by keeping up with your prescribed dental cleaning visits and getting cavities taken care of as soon as they are diagnosed by your dental provider. At Carrollton Smiles, Dr. Sirisha Bhandaru is very excited to offer Dental Advantage Program which enables our patients to have their dental needs taken care of at our office at a very affordable cost. As a part of the Carrollton Smiles Dental Advantage Program we offer all the services 15% less than our office fees.

Call Carrollton Smiles for a consultation at (972) 245-3455 or book an online appointment at carrollton-smiles.com.