Dental pulp is a soft tissue inside the tooth that contains connective tissue, blood vessels, and nerves. Root canal treatment is done when the pulp is severely infected because the teeth have no infection-fighting properties like other parts of the body. At West SoHo Dentistry, we remove infected tissues in the tooth to prevent further complications in the mouth through a Root Canal Treatment. We proudly serve the people of West SoHo, Hudson Square, West Village, Tribeca and surrounding areas.
When the nerve tissue of the tooth is infected, it causes bacteria to increase inside the tooth chamber. The bacteria may affect the surrounding areas and even travel through the bloodstream to the different parts of the body. The possible symptoms of the infection are:
- Sharp pain when biting or chewing
- Extreme sensitivity to hot and cold
- Loose tooth
- Swelling of the face, neck, head
- Swelling of the gums
- Darkening of the tooth
- Bone loss at the tip of the tooth root
What Happens During a Root Canal Treatment?
An x-ray will be taken before the procedure starts to detect if the infection has reached the surrounding bone. Local anesthesia will then be administered to numb the area that will be treated. The anesthesia will help the patients relax during the treatment by making the procedure painless.
Once the anesthesia takes effect, a sheet of rubber (rubber dam) will be placed to keep the tooth dry throughout the procedure. A hole will then be drilled on the top of the tooth to access the root canals and pulp chamber. The pulp, decayed nerve tissues, and bacteria will be removed through using root canal files. The tooth will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected to prevent future infections. After cleaning, gutta-percha will be used to fill and seal the inside of the tooth. A crown will then be used to cover the tooth to protect and restore functionality.
Save the tooth from extraction and prevent the infection from spreading! Schedule an appointment with us at West SoHo Dentistry for Root Canal Treatment in New York. Our dental office is located at 22 Renwick St., New York, NY 10013.