top of page

Root Canal Procedure

Neglecting your daily oral hygiene routine at home or skipping out on your dental cleanings and exams can lead to serious oral health issues, including infections inside your teeth.


Infections are not only painful, but they are also extremely dangerous. Untreated infections in your teeth can lead to bacteria entering the bloodstream and spreading throughout the rest of your body.


At Crossroads Family Dental, our dentist can remove the infection and restore the health of your mouth with a root canal procedure. Restorative Dental helps your mouth feel better. 

What Is A Root Canal?

Root canals are designed to remove an infection from inside a tooth. However, how, exactly, does an infection get started?


Infections in your teeth are the result of bacteria getting into the inner-most layer of your tooth. This can happen in a variety of ways—cavities, deep cracks, or trauma to the tooth. Once the bacteria are in the tooth, they multiply quickly. They enter the tunnels inside the tooth and attack the pulp, which contains blood vessels and nerves. The pulp becomes irritated and inflamed, which can lead to a significant amount of pain. If the pain goes away, it’s not a sign that everything is back to normal! It typically means that the bacteria have completely deadened the nerve and are progressing to the supporting bone underneath the tooth which can lead to the formation of a dental abscess (infection in the supporting bone itself).
 
The only way to remove an infection inside the tooth is with a root canal. This procedure is designed to eliminate an infection without the need for extracting the affected tooth. After the infection and the pulp of the tooth are removed, the interior is cleaned and disinfected before finally being sealed filling material and protected with a dental filling or crown.

What Are The Signs Of An Infection?

An infection inside of a tooth will often present a variety of different symptoms including toothaches, facial swelling, continuous pain, or the presence of a dental abscess (pus).
Signs that your tooth is infected:
 
• A painful toothache.
 
• Swelling of the face, usually near the affected tooth.
 
• Pain or sensitivity that lingers after irritants such as cold or heat are removed.
 
• You may lose bone mass in your jaw.
 
• A dental abscess. An abscess is one of the most clear-cut signs of an infection. Abscesses occur because of bacteria spilling out from the interior of the tooth into the jaw bone. It forms as your body attempts to wall-off and contain the infection. The longer it goes untreated, the larger it grows, and it can rupture causing bacteria to stream into your mouth or into your bloodstream, allowing it access to the rest of your body.

How Is A Tooth Infection Diagnosed?

Before receiving root canal therapy you first need to be diagnosed. Diagnosis involves an oral exam as well as dental x-rays. During your exam, we check your teeth for signs of damage and look for any signs (such as redness and swelling) that can indicate an issue. X-rays help us to see everything occurring under the gum line, including dental abscesses. We will also perform tests to assess the health of the nerve inside of your tooth.

The Root Canal Procedure

Once we have diagnosed an infection, we then move forward with a root canal. We begin by administering a local anesthetic.


We create a small tunnel into the top of the affected tooth. Using tiny, specialized tools, we remove the pulp of the tooth. We then shape the canals. The interior of the tooth is cleaned and disinfected. We then use a special material to pack the interior of the tooth.


Usually on a subsequent visit, we prepare the tooth and place a dental crown. The crown provides strength while protecting the tooth from a new bacterial invasion.


A root canal helps to eliminate damaged nerve tissue and infection while preventing the need for a tooth extraction.

Schedule an Appointment Today!

If you are having tooth pain or suspect an infection, contact Crossroads Family Dental at 219-865-4095 to see if a Root Canal Procedure is the best option to help save your tooth.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram

© 2024 by Crossroads Family Dental.
Powered and secured by 11/17 Media & Co.

Contact Us

Thanks for submitting!

Crossroads Family Dental Logo
bottom of page