Endodontics & Endodontist Huntington Beach, ca

Root canals don’t have to be painful or intimidating—call 714-897-8980 to schedule an appointment with our compassionate team today!

Many people get nervous when they hear the phrase ‘root canal,’ but the truth is that it’s a procedure that can greatly reduce tooth pain that plagues many Huntington Beach residents. Our dentists at TLC Family Dentistry use modern techniques that make your root canal treatment in Huntington Beach, CA, faster, more effective, and less painful than ever before.

What Exactly Is a Root Canal?

Your teeth consist of an outer layer of dentin and tooth enamel and an inner pulp core. The pulp contains all the nerves and blood vessels that help your teeth grow, while the outer layers protect the pulp from bacteria and inflammation.

The tooth pulp is sensitive to inflammation and infection. Bacteria can sometimes penetrate through a cavity or chip and infect the pulp, or a bump may cause severe inflammation. Since the pulp carries the tooth’s nerves, any inflammation or infection can result in severe pain, even when you’re not using the tooth.

The root canal procedure removes any infected or inflamed tooth pulp, cleans the area, and protects it with a dental sealant. A root canal treatment in Huntington Beach, CA, can prevent tooth loss due to infection or tooth decay and give patients much-needed relief from tooth pain while improving their oral health.

Who Needs a Root Canal?

Unlike tooth decay, you’ll know when you have an infected or inflamed tooth. Some of the common symptoms that warrant a call to the dentist include:

  • Severe pain when biting or chewing
  • Extreme sensitivity to heat or cold that persists even if you remove the source
  • Tender or swollen gums
  • Persistent bad breath
  • Darkening or decaying gums
  • Discoloration in a particular tooth

If you have any combination of these symptoms, please schedule an appointment with a dentist as soon as possible. Unfortunately, these symptoms won’t get better on their own, and an untreated infection can result in abscesses and even tooth loss.

endodontist huntington beach

The Root Canal Process

Root canals are a relatively simple procedure. The dentist starts by using a local anesthetic to numb the area around the tooth. Once you’re comfortable and pain-free, they’ll drill a tiny hole through the tooth enamel into the affected pulp. Next, the dentist will remove the infected and inflamed pulp through this hole and check for any debris or decay.

Once the dentist has removed the inflamed pulp, they’ll thoroughly clean the pulp chamber to prevent further infection or inflammation. Once the chamber is clean, the team will use a specialized rubber-like substance to fill the chamber. This material will help strengthen the tooth by replacing the pulp that held the tooth together.

Depending on the severity of the case, the dentist will use either a dental filling or a crown to cover the hole and protect the tooth from infection and decay. Doing this ensures that no bacteria can get into the hole.

Myths About Root Canals

Many people have misconceptions about root canals, especially about pain levels associated with the procedure. This fear can cause patients to avoid their dentist, even though the procedure could save a tooth and prevent a lot of pain in the future.

While a root canal treatment in Huntington Beach, CA, isn’t the most fun you can have at a dental practice, it’s significantly less painful than you’d expect. The procedure itself is painless due to our dentists’ techniques, and the discomfort after the procedure is easy to manage with over-the-counter medication.

At TLC Family Dentistry, we understand that while we can reassure patients, some individuals will still have anxiety before their root canal treatment. Therefore, we offer several anti-anxiety options before the procedure to help you relax and cope with the process.

CALL TLC FOR YOUR NEXT endodontist Huntington beach ROOT CANAL

A root canal in Huntington Beach may seem scary at first, but it’s nowhere near as bad as people imagine. The benefits of having the treatment far outweigh the mild discomfort you may experience. Not only can a root canal save your existing tooth, but it can restore the tooth to its original, pain-free, functional state. With modern tooth-colored fillings and dental crowns, nobody will even know that you had a root canal treatment.

If you have any of the symptoms of inflamed or infected pulp and live in the Huntington Beach, California area, give TLC Family Dentistry a call today at 714-897-8980. Our compassionate team is with you every step of the journey.

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