Endodontics & Your Oral Health
Endodontics is a specialized branch of dentistry that deals with diseases and injuries affecting the soft tissues inside of your teeth.
In North America alone, more than 14 million teeth receive endodontic treatment each year. By choosing endodontic treatment, you are deciding to keep your natural teeth as a healthy foundation for chewing and biting for years to come.
What is an Endodontist?
An endodontist is a specialist who performs root canal treatments exclusively. After undergoing undergraduate science training and four years of dental school, these professionals complete an additional two or three years of intensive specialty training to achieve the qualifications necessary to perform all aspects of endodontic treatment.
At Limited to Endodontics our endodontists are committed to providing comprehensive endodontic care to our patients from across Mississauga, Toronto, and across the GTA.
Uses for Root Canal Treatment in Mississauga
If the soft tissue in your tooth becomes infected or inflamed, this can lead to severe pain and a throbbing sensation.
Root canal treatment aims to relieve painful symptoms such as severe tooth pain and sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures.
This treatment can also preserve your existing natural teeth, and limit the need for more invasive and time-consuming dental work in the future.
Your endodontist works to stop the spread of infection and repair the healthy portion of your tooth by removing bacteria and decay from the interior of the affected tooth.
Following a root canal treatment, many patients report feeling little pain or discomfort and can enjoy all the benefits of a restored tooth.
Most teeth that have had root canal therapy can last a lifetime if cared for properly.
Root Canal Treatment FAQs
If your endodontist has recommended that you have root canal treatment, you may have questions. Read through the answers to our most frequently asked questions to learn more.
- Why would my endodontist recommend a root canal?
Endodontic treatment is necessary when the tissue becomes inflamed or infected. The inflammation or infection can have a variety of causes: deep decay, repeated dental procedures on the tooth, or a crack or chip in the tooth.
In addition, a blow to a tooth may cause tissue damage even if the tooth has no visible chips or cracks. If tissue inflammation or infection is left untreated, it can cause pain or lead to an abscess.
Signs of tissue damage include pain, prolonged sensitivity to heat or cold, discoloration of the tooth, swelling and tenderness in the nearby gums. Sometimes, there are no symptoms.
- Are root canals painful?
Local anaesthesia (freezing) makes treatment painless. While there may be some discomfort for a brief period after treatment, this can be controlled with over-the-counter medications.
- What will happen to my tooth after root canal treatment?
It will be necessary for you to see your general dentist to have a permanent filling placed or a cap (crown) made for the tooth. Your general dentist will assist you in choosing the most suitable kind of restoration.
- Why can't I use antibiotics to make the abscess go away?
Unfortunately, when a tooth is infected, the blood supply (tissue) running through the tooth is affected as well. As a result, there is no way to conduct the antibiotics to the needed area.
However, antibiotics do help control and eliminate the infection in the surrounding bone before and after root canal therapy.
- Will my tooth last forever after treatment?
Root canal treatment has been reported to be up to 95% successful. Many factors influence the treatment outcome: the patient’s general health, bone support around the tooth, the strength of the tooth including possible fracture lines, shape and condition of the root and nerve canal(s) and continued follow-up care.
Although we cannot guarantee the successful outcome of root canal procedures, you can be assured that the most advanced techniques and treatment modalities will be performed to aim for the best prognosis possible.
- What should I expect after root canal treatment?
It's critical to schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible, preferably within two weeks after root canal treatment completion, so a permanent restoration such as a filling and/or crown can be placed unless otherwise discussed.
Removal of pulp tissue from a root canal can produce inflammation in the socket holding the tooth. Unlike our skin which can expand, increased fluid in bone produces pressure on sensitive structures like the membranes of our sinuses or large nerve structures in our jaw.
Inflammation may take up to 2 weeks or more to resolve (think how long a cold lasts). The medications you are given will help to minimize any discomfort from the inflammation resulting from your condition and the treatment rendered. However, if you are unsure, please feel free to contact our office so that we may check the progress of your healing.
- What if I don’t treat my tooth?
If your tooth is infected and not treated, it may lead to loss of the tooth, spread to adjacent teeth, and may affect your general health.