Root canals & extractions

Root canal treatment

Inside every tooth is a soft core of nerve and blood vessels. When decay or a crack lets bacteria reach it, that tissue becomes infected — which is what produces the deep, throbbing ache that doesn't settle and often wakes people at night.

A root canal removes the infected tissue, cleans and shapes the canals inside the root, and seals them. The tooth stays in place and keeps working. Afterwards, a crown is typically placed on the tooth.

Does it hurt?

The area is thoroughly numbed and for most people the procedure feels much like having a filling — the relief comes from removing the source of the pain. Some tenderness for several days afterwards is normal and can usually be managed with ordinary painkillers.

Extractions

A tooth comes out when it can't be repaired or saved — severe decay, a fracture running below the gumline, advanced gum disease that's lost the supporting bone, or an infection that hasn't responded to treatment.

The area is numbed first. Most straightforward extractions are quick. If a tooth is broken at the gumline or the roots are curved, the procedure may take longer.

What to expect afterwards

• Bite gently on gauze for the first half hour to let a clot form
• No rinsing, spitting, straws or smoking for 24 hours — all of them can dislodge the clot
• Soft food and lukewarm drinks for the first day
• Warm salt-water rinses from the second day
• Keep brushing the rest of your teeth, just avoid the socket

Call us if pain gets worse rather than better after two or three days, if bleeding doesn't settle, or if you develop a fever.

Wisdom teeth

Wisdom teeth arrive in the late teens or early twenties and often there isn't room. When one comes in at an angle or stays partly under the gum, it can push neighboring teeth, trap food and bacteria, or cause repeated infections around the flap of gum over it.

Not every wisdom tooth needs removing. Ones that come through straight and clean can stay. We'll take x-rays to see what's going on, and we'll review your options with you.

Replacing a tooth afterwards

A gap left where a back tooth used to be tends to cause drift in the teeth and loss of bone over time. Some options include an implant, a bridge, or a partial denture.

Dental implants