Signs You Need a Root Canal

While dental enamel is extremely strong, general wear and dental accidents can break through the enamel, allowing bacteria to reach the inner tooth chamber. Root canal therapy is the most effective treatment when bacteria has infected the inner layers of your tooth. If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should contact our office right away:

• Extreme pain or discomfort in a particular tooth, especially when you touch it or bite
• Heightened sensitivity to heat, cold, and sugar
• Discolouration on the tooth’s surface
• Redness and swelling of the gums around a particular tooth
• The tooth is broken, chipped, or cracked

While the symptoms of infected teeth can be painful, visiting the dentist for root canal therapy can help alleviate the pain and save your tooth from extraction. 

The Root Canal Process

While many patients are terrified about the prospect of getting root canal when they learn that they need root canal therapy, most are quite surprised to find the process is much less painful than the symptoms leading up to treatment. At Dr. K. Ashraf Dentistry, we use the Single Tooth Anesthesia™ System to numb the treatment area, making your root canal therapy even more pleasant with needle-less anesthesia. 

During the actual treatment, our Kitchener dentist will numb the tooth with the STA system. Once numb, Dr. Ash in need of treatment with the no needles involved at all! Once your tooth is numb, a small access hole will be make behind your tooth. Specialised instruments are then used to remove infected tissue, bacteria, and debris from the inner tooth chamber and tooth roots – hence the name “root canal therapy”. 

After the infection has been cleared from the pulp, the inside of your tooth will be comprehensively cleaned, sterilized, and filled with a bio-friendly material called gutta-percha. The small whole is then filled with a composite filling until the tooth has healed. After recovery, you’ll return to our dentist in Waterloo to have a permanent dental crown placed. For your convenience, Dr. Ashraf offers same-day CEREC crowns. Made custom to your smile, these porcelain crowns seal out bacteria and restore your treated tooth to it’s original strength and function.

And then you’re done! You may feel some soreness in the area after the procedure, but this should subside fairly soon. If successful and properly cared for, the root canal procedure can permanently fix your tooth.

Facing Tooth Sensitivity? Call Dr. Ashraf Today

Dr. K. Ashraf understands that root canal therapy can seem scary and works hard to make sure your experience is a positive one. If you’re experiencing dental sensitivity, pain, or tooth discolouration, contact our Waterloo office to schedule a free consultation immediately. We’ll find the root cause of your pain and recommend a personalized treatment plan that’ll get you smiling again.