A large cavity, crack in your enamel, and extreme wear can all allow bacteria to reach the pulp and cause an infection deep inside your tooth. When that happens, you can turn to our Fort Collins dental care team for relief through root canal therapy. By performing that procedure, we can halt the infection and save your natural tooth, and then restore its strength with a dental crown.

What is a Root Canal?

Root canal therapy involves the removal of the infected tissue deep inside your tooth to halt the infection in its tracks. Once the pulp comes out, we can then thoroughly clean and disinfect the inner surfaces before filling the center with a strong support material.

After that, it’s just a matter of sealing it all up to complete the treatment and save your natural tooth structure. Then, a dental crown can help restore the strength and appearance of your tooth plus create a suitable bite surface along the top.

Upon treating the infection, you’ll likely experience immediate relief from the throbbing tooth pain. Recovery from the procedure takes about three days, and then you’ll be able to resume your normal activities without a problem.

Signs You May Need Root Canal Therapy

Oftentimes, you’ll learn that it’s time for a root canal during a basic dental exam. Before the infection gets too bad, you may only feel an increased sensitivity to hot and cold, after all.

Upon mentioning this to our dental team, we’ll perform an x-ray to check for telltale abscesses that indicate bacteria have reached the inside of your tooth. We can then perform the root canal therapy before the infection can cause serious pain or spread to nearby tissues.

If an infection develops before you can get into the clinic, you might notice pain while chewing or biting down. The pain often starts out mild and slowly gets worse, eventually making it hard to complete your daily activities or get rest at night.

Other signs you may need a root canal include:

• Spots or dark areas on your gums
• Gum swelling and tenderness
• Chips or cracks in your tooth enamel

We’re always here to help if you notice any abnormalities with your teeth and gums. Just let us know what’s going on and we’ll help you find a great time to come by.

Learn More About Root Canals at Radiant Dental Health

If you’re experiencing any signs of an infected tooth, simply dial 970-422-1122 to speak to our team at Radiant Dental Health. We’ll let you know if your tooth needs a root canal by performing an exam and any necessary imaging tests. Please feel free to call us anytime to get help preserving your dental health through every stage of life.