Signs You May Need Endodontic Therapy or Root Canal Retreatment

Most people have heard about root canal treatment, yet many don’t fully understand the process or why it may be needed. Endodontic therapy, aka root canal treatment, is a procedure that dentists use to treat severely decayed or infected teeth to save them from extraction. In addition to saving an infected tooth, root canal therapy from Calgary Dental Centers in Calgary, Alberta, can stop the spread of oral infections, keeping harmful bacteria from damaging healthy teeth. A dental evaluation from Dr. Hanif Asaria and our team can determine if your tooth can be saved through endodontic treatment. 

Signs You May Need Root Canal Therapy 

The following signs could indicate the need for endodontic therapy: 

• A badly chipped, cracked, or broken tooth
• Severe toothache
• Tooth pain whenever you bite or chew food
• Sensitivity to hot or cold drinks
• Pimples or dark spots on your gums

Any time you experience tooth pain that lingers, you should schedule a checkup at your Calgary dental clinic. An untreated infection can severely damage the bone structure of your tooth. There’s also the risk of the infection spreading to healthy teeth and ruining your oral health. After examining your tooth and taking X-rays to assess the damage to your tooth roots, Dr. Asaria can determine if root canal therapy is the best treatment for you. 

The Root Canal Process

Root canal therapy is a fairly straightforward, pain-free treatment completed in stages. The first stage is assessing your condition and determining if you need endodontic treatment. If so, we’ll schedule an appointment for your procedure. 

Endodontic therapy is performed under anesthesia to give you comfortable, pain-free treatment. We’ll start by drilling a hole in your tooth to reach the infected pulp and tissue, which will be removed. Dr. Asaria will then cleanse and disinfect your tooth chamber and root canals of all remaining bacteria to keep the infection from spreading. 

The next step is reshaping your tooth and canals for filling. We’ll fill and seal your tooth with gutta-percha material to protect it from future infection. The final phase is capping your tooth with a dental crown to strengthen its structure. A porcelain tooth-coloured crown will restore your tooth’s usefulness and appearance, so no one can tell you’ve had root canal treatment. 

Failed Root Canal Treatment 

Although root canal therapy has a high success rate (over 95%), it’s not foolproof. Your treatment can fail due to a tooth fracture, new decay, or loose crown. In the event of failed root canal treatment, Dr. Asaria will reassess your condition to see what can be done to rectify the problem. 

In most circumstances, root canal retreatment is the best course of action–reopening the tooth, clearing out all new infections, reshaping, refilling, and resealing your tooth with greater precision. A new crown will then be put in place to complete your treatment. 

Endodontic Treatment Near Me in Calgary, Alberta 

To schedule a consultation for root canal therapy in Calgary, Alberta, contact Dr. Hanif Asaria from Calgary Dental Centers at (403) 768-1343 .