Root Canal Treatment in Salt Lake City UT

Brushing and flossing the teeth are quite vital when it comes to maintaining optimum oral hygiene. No matter how well you brush and floss, the microbes tend to grow and spread in the mouth as your day progresses. They may gradually deposit on the tongue, gums, and teeth, especially near the gum line. Over time, these deposits turn into dark tartar patches, which can have significant adverse effects on your mouth.

Tartar is known to be the leading cause of cavities and gum diseases, as the microbes in it release harmful acidic substances. When cavities are left untreated for a long time, they grow wider and deeper, eventually reaching the central root canal cavity. This can lead to an infection of the dental pulp - a combination of nerves and blood vessels that is present in the root canal cavity.

What are the symptoms of root canal infection?

• Severe pain in the root canal infected tooth and surrounding tissues
• The gums near the infected tooth may inflame, discharge pus, and bleed
• The underlying jawbone could deteriorate or shrink
• The tooth may exhibit elevated levels of sensitivity to hot and cold foods
• The tooth could appear discolored due to the decayed pulp present in it
• Eventually, the tooth may loosen from its socket and fall off.

What is the solution?

When you visit the dentist for the initial consultation, we will thoroughly diagnose the tooth and understand the severity of the condition. This helps us formulate a suitable treatment plan to address the situation. If the condition is treatable by medication or dental restorations, we will adhere to this approach. But, if the tooth is on the farther side of any form of restoration or treatment, we have to perform root canal therapy.

During this procedure, we will make a small hole on the infected tooth and insert thin dental files into it. The decayed pulp will be removed through the hole, and the walls of the cavity will be scrubbed and disinfected using the dental files. A jet of water is used to wash away the debris and microbes. Once the cleaning process is completed, the dentist will place a small amount of antibiotic medication in the root canal cavity to ensure it doesn’t develop reinfection. The hole will be sealed using tooth-colored filling material.

How is the tooth restored?

Once the dental pulp is removed, the tooth would grow weaker due to the absence of nourishment. It could easily crack or break when you bite and chew hard foods or sustain a strong blow to the mouth. Hence, we will fabricate a ceramic crown and place it on the tooth to hold it intact and prevent damage.

Please schedule a consultation with Salt Lake City Dentist, Dr. Powell by calling us or reaching us through an online query, and we’ll be happy to guide you further.