Here’s What to Expect from a Root Canal

Despite the hype, root canals are a routine dental procedure not much different than filling a cavity. It involves removing the infected pulp — blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue — from inside your tooth, saving your natural tooth from extraction.

At Solay Dental in Brandon, New Port Richey, and Oldsmar, Florida, our skilled and compassionate dentists, Dr. Shiva Soleimani and Dr. Katalina Beltran, perform painless root canals to save your tooth and improve oral health.

Many people avoid visiting the dentist due to fear about procedures like a root canal. We don’t want you to skip the essential dental care you need. To ease your anxiety, here’s what to expect from a root canal.

Preparation for root canal

We perform root canals to treat infections that affect the pulp of the tooth, usually from a deep cavity or crack in a tooth. You can have a tooth infection without symptoms, but it often causes tooth pain or swelling of the gums around the tooth. 

Before we get started, we do a dental X-ray of the tooth and inspect it to look for signs of an infection and make sure you need a root canal. We apply a numbing cream to the gum and then inject an anesthetic so you stay comfortable during the procedure.

Patients with severe dental anxiety may also receive additional medications to help them feel more at ease.

Root canal procedure

Once numb, we cover the tooth and the surrounding gums with a dental rubber dam to isolate the area and keep it dry. We drill a hole through the infected tooth to access the pulp and remove it. Then, we clean and disinfect the root canal (that’s the name of the open space in the tooth) and fill it with a rubbery dental material. 

We seal the opening to prevent bacteria from entering with a temporary filling. You then go home. We complete the root canal once we have your custom dental crown, which can take a few weeks to make, placing it over the treated tooth to protect it and restore your natural bite.  

Recovering from a root canal

We may have you stay at the office for a few minutes for monitoring immediately following the root canal and then send you on your way. Your gums may stay numb for up to an hour, but you can resume many of your usual activities afterward, but resting is okay too.

We request that you avoid biting down on the tooth with the temporary filling to reduce risk of cracking. The hard part of the root canal is over, but it’s not complete until we cover the tooth with the crown. 

Recovery from the initial root canal takes less than a week. During that time, we recommend a soft diet with foods like oatmeal, bananas, pasta, rice, and ground meats. You should brush after every meal and use an antibacterial mouthwash to reduce the risk of infection.

Your restored tooth following a root canal can last years as long as you brush and floss regularly and visit your dentist every six months for check ups and cleanings. A good preventive oral health routine is also key to preventing the need for a root canal.

Don’t let your fear keep you from visiting the dentist or getting a root canal. We provide gentle dental care, working closely with you, developing a plan that keeps you and your mouth healthy. Call us today or request an appointment online.