Boise Root Canal Therapy

Root canals are necessary when one of your teeth has become infected. Most commonly, tooth infections occur due to untreated tooth decay. Once the hard layers of enamel and dentin are eroded by decay, the vulnerable root pulp becomes exposed to oral bacteria and becomes infected. More rarely, this can also happen if an oral injury cracks your tooth, exposing the pulp.

The symptoms of an infected tooth are typically quite easy to recognize. A painful toothache that may radiate to your jaw or cause a headache is the most common symptom, but not all infected teeth cause a toothache. 

Other common symptoms of an infected tooth include swelling and inflammation around the infected tooth, increased sensitivity to heat, cold, and pressure when chewing, and swelling in your face and cheek. If you notice one or more of these symptoms, you may have an infected tooth, and you need to get help from Boise Dental Arts right away.

Despite what you may have heard, root canals are quite simple and painless. They are only about as invasive as a dental filling. Dr. Brown will begin the process by numbing and cleaning your tooth and isolating it with a dental dam to prevent the spread of infection. Next, he will use a dental drill to remove any damaged or decayed tooth material and then create a small hole in the tooth. Through this hole, he will extract the decayed and infected pulp, using a variety of special tools. After this, the inside of your tooth will be disinfected and cleaned, then filled with an inert, rubbery material called “gutta-percha.” Finally, your tooth will be sealed using a filling and possibly a temporary crown. You’ll need to come back in 2-3 weeks, once your tooth has fully healed, to get your permanent crown.

At Boise Dental Arts, we take great pride in offering pain-free root canals. We use the latest dental technology, numbing, and sedation methods to ensure that you don't feel a thing throughout the entire process. In fact, a root canal in Boise is the best way to get relief from the pain of a toothache caused by a dental infection. So if you are suffering from an infected tooth, don’t wait. Get in touch today, schedule an appointment with Dr. Brown, and get the help you need.