Root Canal Barrie, ON

At Park Place Dental, our goal is to help you achieve and maintain optimum oral health. Sometimes that requires repairing or restoring a tooth.

If you find yourself in need of root canal therapy, you're likely experiencing pain. Unfortunately, due to horror stories and a lousy reputation built over the years, many people think that a root canal procedure is the cause of their pain. The truth is that a dental infection actually causes it, and a root canal can relieve your pain and eliminate the infection if you proactively seek treatment.

If you think you might have a tooth infection, it's essential to seek treatment as soon as possible because an untreated infection will worsen and could impact neighbouring teeth and other parts of your body.

If you're living with a tooth that's sensitive to temperature or causing a constant, severe toothache that doesn't go away, contact your Barrie dental team at (705) 728-9922, so we can arrange a time to see you.

• When Our Barrie Dentists Recommend Root Canal Treatment
• Signs of a Tooth Infection
• What Causes a Tooth Infection?
• What Happens During Root Canal Treatment?
• Keeping Root Canal Therapy Comfortable in Barrie
• How You Can Prevent a Root Canal

When Our Barrie Dentists Recommend Root Canal Treatment

A dental infection can occur when decay reaches the pulp or nerve of your tooth. This happens if tooth decay is left undiagnosed or untreated. The bacteria progresses further into the tooth until it reaches the nerve, where it causes an infection.

A tooth infection can cause severe pain, and it may spread to other critical areas of the body or affect other teeth if we don't treat it right away. It can even result in tooth loss in severe cases.

Root canal therapy is designed to preserve your natural tooth structure by removing infected tissues from within your tooth when it has been traumatized, injured, or decayed beyond the capabilities of what a dental filling or crown can repair.

A tooth infection tends to be very painful, causing pain that makes it hard to focus and distracts you from your daily activities.

Sensitivity to hot or cold food or beverages may be one of the first signs of a tooth infection. In fact, having your dentist examine your tooth as soon as you begin feeling temperature sensitivity could help you avoid a tooth infection because they can diagnose tooth decay and treat it early on with a dental filling or crown.

Some other signs your tooth may be infected are:

• Pain or tenderness when biting or chewing
• Facial swelling
• A persistent, constant toothache that doesn't go away with over-the-counter medication
• A white "pimple" or bump on the gum tissue around the infected tooth
• A foul taste and odour in your mouth

If you detect any of these signs or symptoms, don't wait to contact your dentist in Barrie, ON, right away. The quicker we can diagnose a tooth infection, the faster we can treat it and get you back to feeling comfortable again.

What Causes a Tooth Infection?

Dental infections are typically the result of plaque or bacteria that produce the acids that eat through your tooth enamel to cause damage to your tooth. When you don't brush and floss properly and remove plaque and bacteria daily, they can build up and begin to erode your tooth enamel. The layer of your tooth below your enamel is a softer layer called dentin. If the decay progresses through your dentin layer, it will reach the inner layer of your tooth called the pulp, where the nerve resides. At this point, a tooth infection can occur.

If you've heard that root canals are painful, you may be wondering what to expect during the procedure. First, you should know that our primary goal at Park Place Dental is to make your root canal procedure as comfortable as possible.

Our dentists start by thoroughly numbing the area around the compromised tooth during root canal treatment, so you don't feel anything during your procedure. The dental anesthetics also immediately alleviate the pain caused by your infection.

Next, they carefully clean out the diseased tissue from within your tooth using the latest advances in endodontic (root canal) tools. Electric hand tools made of nickel-titanium are flexible and make it easier to reach the innermost canals of your tooth comfortably. When your tooth is clean and free of infection, they seal it temporarily with filling material and give it time to heal completely.

Once your tooth is fully healed, they will strengthen it with a permanent filling or tooth crown. Root canal treatment preserves your natural tooth structure but makes it brittle. A crown protects your tooth and restores your ability to eat, bite, and chew efficiently. When we rebuild your treated tooth with a crown, you will enjoy all the functions you had before your tooth infection.

Dr. Joo and Dr. Moore approach every treatment procedure with your comfort in mind, and root canals are no exception. At our Innisfil area dental office, we use the best anesthetics to ensure that you don't feel anything during your procedure.

We've also invested in rotary endodontic technology, which uses electric hand tools made from nickel-titanium rather than standard stainless steel hand tools. Titanium is more flexible, which is more comfortable for our patients. Electric hand tools also make the procedure more efficient, so you'll spend less time in the chair.

Patients who experience fear or anxiety around their dental appointments can have dental sedation during their root canal treatment. At Park Place Dental, our dentists are equipped with the skills and training to administer different levels of dental sedation.

• Nitrous oxide - Also called laughing gas, this is the mildest sedation we offer that helps "take the edge off" during your procedure without causing lingering side effects.
• IV sedation -  Dr. Joo is qualified to deliver medication intravenously while monitoring your vital signs throughout your procedure. This is the highest level of sedation we offer. Most patients describe it as feeling like they're sleeping throughout the procedure.

How You Can Prevent a Root Canal

Did you know that you can avoid a tooth infection by being proactive about your preventative appointments? For example, if your dentist detects decay in your tooth during a routine examination, it can often be treated with a simple dental filling if you get the treatment done promptly.

When the decay is left untreated or undiagnosed, it progresses further into your tooth and root. Don't let this happen to you! Instead, visit Park Place Dental every six months for cleaning and checkups to catch potential problems as early as possible and avoid invasive and costly treatment procedures.

If you are experiencing pain or a toothache, contact your Barrie dentists at Park Place Dental right away by calling (705) 728-9922. Remember, waiting to call or putting off treatment will only result in further pain and damage to your tooth. We'll make every effort to see you as soon as possible, and we'll have you back on the path to wellness in no time.