Endodontics: The Secret to Saving Smiles

Endodontics or root canal therapy is dentistry that focuses on diseases and injuries of dental pulp, the soft tissues inside a tooth. Its purpose is to save a natural tooth and to relieve pain.

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Endodontics or root canal therapy is dentistry that focuses on diseases and injuries of dental pulp, the soft tissues inside a tooth. Its purpose is to save a natural tooth and to relieve pain.

Did you know that more than 14 million teeth receive endodontic treatment each year? By choosing endodontic treatment, you are making the decision to keep your natural teeth, giving you the ability to chew, bite, speak, talk, and laugh with confidence for years to come.

Beneath the hard enamel exterior of your tooth, there is a canal that contains pulp – blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue. Because it does most of its work during tooth development, adult teeth are able to survive without pulp by drawing nutrients from surrounding tissues. That’s why, when tooth pulp becomes inflamed or infected, often the choice of treatment includes removing the pulp and therefore the infection.

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Reasons for infection and inflammation include:

deep decay
tooth cracks
trauma/injury.

When these things happen, you may experience severe pain, pain that becomes worse when you chew or bite, sensitivity to cold and hot foods and drinks, sore gums, discolored gums, and small pimple-like bumps on your gums.

At Park Ridge Dental Associates, when we consider endodontic therapy for you, we have two main goals: (1) to get you out of pain quickly and permanently, and (2) to save your tooth.

Why we want to relieve your pain immediately is easily understood! But why are we so focused on saving your tooth? It’s because when you’re missing a tooth, the neighboring teeth must work harder to help you chew and bite, and the extra stress may cause them to fracture. Remaining teeth will also drift into the gap left behind by the missing tooth, negatively affecting the way your teeth and jaws fit together, which can cause jaw and face pain, difficulty eating and speaking, and more!

We know that for some people, endodontics or root canal therapy has a bad reputation, but we can guarantee that’s a hangover from days long gone. At Park Ridge Dental Associates, we ensure your comfort. Before your treatment, we’ll always discuss sedation options with you and help you to choose the one that works best for you.

When endodontic treatment is complete, you’ll be out of pain and your beautiful smile will return. Homecare doesn’t change – brush twice a day and floss once a day like you already do.

If you have questions about endodontic care, be sure to call us, your dentist in Park Ridge, at (847) 915-6243. Because at Park Ridge Dental Associates, we want to help you enjoy every day with a pain-free, healthy, beautiful smile! Call now!