Root Canal Treatment
Improved technology and anesthesia have made root canals much easier for our patients. During a root canal, we remove infection from the tooth, so your smile stays healthy long-term.
Your Root Canal Dentist
in Santa Barbara County, CA
It’s important to address tooth pain promptly, as it could indicate an underlying issue. Root canal procedures are a vital part of our restorative dental care. During this process, we:
- Remove decay from your tooth
- Clear infected tissue from inside your tooth
- Fill your tooth with a special substance
- Cap your tooth with a filling and/or dental crown
Many people are concerned about the potential pain of root canals. However, the procedure can be virtually painless with sedation dentistry, such as inhaled sedation (laughing gas), oral sedation (medication), or IV sedation. We offer root canal treatments across all three of our Santa Barbara County locations to save your tooth and prevent infection from spreading. This treatment could be the key to protecting your smile and overall oral health.
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What is a root canal?
A root canal is a procedure that helps save your tooth when the tissue, blood vessels and nerves inside it are infected or inflamed. Your dentist works to remove the infected tissue and apply medication in the canal, so it can heal.
Often, you’ll also need a crown after the root canal to protect the tooth from additional damage.
Root Canal Symptoms
If you have an infected root canal, you’ll usually be in severe pain with these symptoms:
- Abscesses on the gums that come back
- Sensitivity to hot and cold foods and drinks
- Severe and intense toothaches that won’t go away
- Swollen and tender lymph nodes
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How is root canal treatment performed?
With root canal treatment, we start with X-rays to get a better look at the damage. Then, we offer sedation, including IV sedation, to provide comfort as we get to the inside of the tooth. We clean out infection, leaving the tooth as a hollowed structure. Antimicrobial liquid flushes out the root canal. Then we apply medicated filling to help the tooth heal. After, we usually place a dental crown over the structure.
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How long does the pain from a root canal last?
The root canal procedure isn’t any more painful than a tooth filling. You receive anesthetic beforehand, so during, you don’t feel discomfort.
After a root canal, you may have some sensitivity while the area around the root canal heals. Your gums may swell, resulting in mind pain. Any pain or swelling should go away when the tooth heals. Your dentist or endodontist also provides instructions on how to care for your treated tooth.
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What are alternatives to root canal treatment?
Root canals often are the last line of defense for restoring your tooth, so the remaining options are usually more severe — such as tooth extraction. You really don’t want infection spreading into the face or other teeth, which is why a root canal can help.
If you have your tooth extracted, you’ll still want to get the tooth replaced as soon as possible to avoid extra spacing affecting your bit or jaw alignment. Common replacement options are a dental implant or bridge.
More Questions?
If you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation, contact our office and we'll be happy to help.