Experiencing dental discomfort? Your oral health matters! At Hope Dental Professionals, we provide comprehensive dental care, including expert-guided root canal treatment by our Bentonville dentist, Dr. Pate. Our professional team provides exceptional care to Bentonville and our surrounding communities, ensuring your dental health is always a top priority.

What is a root canal?

A root canal is a dental procedure that treats the soft pulp tissue inside the tooth. This treatment becomes necessary when the tooth’s pulp becomes inflamed or infected. The process involves removing the damaged pulp, cleaning and disinfecting the inside of the tooth, and then filling and sealing it.

Symptoms indicating a root canal may be required

Recognizing the symptoms of dental issues can help you get treatment promptly, avoiding further complications. While only a dental exam by a dentist in Bentonville, like Dr. Pate, can confirm the need for a root canal, some symptoms may indicate its necessity:

  1. Severe Toothache: The most common symptom is severe toothache, especially when chewing or applying pressure to the tooth.
  2. Prolonged Sensitivity to Hot or Cold: Long-lasting or severe sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures, even after the temperature stimulus has been removed.
  3. Darkening or Discoloration of the Tooth: A discolored tooth can indicate problems within the dental pulp.
  4. Swollen, Tender, or Inflamed Gums: Swelling or tenderness in the gums around a specific tooth can be a sign of an infection.
  5. Persistent Pimple on the Gums: A recurring or persistent pimple on the gums, often painful and filled with pus, is a sign of infection. This is known as a dental abscess.

If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to visit Dr. Pate at Hope Dental Professionals. Early detection and treatment can save your tooth and prevent further complications.

Benefits of root canal treatment

Root canal treatment offers numerous benefits, enhancing your oral health and overall quality of life.

  1. Pain Relief: A root canal procedure relieves the pain caused by inflammation or infection within the tooth. Despite common misconceptions, the procedure itself is not painful but rather alleviates the discomfort of the dental issue.
  2. Preservation of Natural Tooth: The procedure allows you to keep your natural tooth, preserving your natural biting force and sensation and preventing other teeth from shifting out of line.
  3. Prevents Spread of Infection: By removing the infected or inflamed pulp, a root canal prevents the spread of infection to other teeth and the jaw.
  4. Cost-Effective & Efficient: Compared to alternatives such as tooth extraction followed by a dental implant or bridge, root canals are relatively time-efficient and cost-effective.
  5. Improves Appearance: After the procedure, the tooth is restored and crowned, leading to an improved appearance.

What to expect during treatment

The root canal procedure involves several carefully executed steps to ensure the complete removal of the infected pulp and prevention of further infection.

Illustration of the stages of a root canal in Bentonville, AR

  1. X-Ray Examination: The first step involves taking an x-ray of the affected tooth to determine the shape of the root canals and check if the surrounding bone shows any sign of infection.
  2. Anesthesia: Despite common misconceptions, the procedure is no more painful than a typical filling. Dr. Pate administers local anesthesia to numb the tooth and surrounding area, ensuring patient comfort throughout the procedure.
  3. Pulpectomy or Pulp Removal: Dr. Pate then places a rubber dam around the tooth to keep it dry during the procedure. An opening is made in the crown of the tooth. Using specialized tools, the infected or inflamed pulp is carefully removed from the tooth’s chamber and root canals.
  4. Cleaning and Shaping: The root canals are then thoroughly cleaned, enlarged, and shaped to provide a clean, smooth, and receptive space for filling.
  5. Filling the Root Canals: The cleaned and shaped canals are filled with a biocompatible material, usually a rubber-like substance called gutta-percha. The gutta-percha is placed with an adhesive cement to ensure complete sealing of the root canals.
  6. Rebuilding the Tooth: A temporary filling material is placed on top to close the opening until a permanent restoration, like a crown, is ready to be placed on the tooth.
  7. Crowning the Tooth: After a few weeks, when the tooth has healed, Dr. Pate will remove the temporary filling and restore the tooth with a crown or other restoration to protect and restore it to full function.

Clearing Up Common Misconceptions About Root Canals

There are several misconceptions related to root canals that often cause unnecessary anxiety for patients. The foremost among these is that root canals are extremely painful. In reality, with modern dental techniques and anesthesia, the procedure is no more uncomfortable than getting a filling.

Another common myth is that root canal treatment causes illness. On the contrary, root canal therapy is designed to eliminate bacteria from the infected canal, prevent reinfection of the tooth, and save the natural tooth.

Lastly, some people believe that extraction is a good alternative to a root canal. While extraction may seem like a quick-fix, saving your natural teeth, if possible, is always the best option for your dental health. Tooth removal leads to additional procedures to replace the lost tooth and restore chewing function, which can be more costly and time-consuming.

Why Choose Us for Your Root Canal in Bentonville, AR?

At Hope Dental Professionals, we understand that the idea of a root canal can cause anxiety. However, under the expert care of Dr. Pate, you can be assured of a virtually painless procedure. We adopt advanced technology and methods to make your root canal experience as comfortable as possible.

RDA preparing a patient for a root canal at Hope Dental Professionals

FAQs

Why is a root canal necessary?

A root canal becomes necessary when the pulp inside the tooth becomes inflamed or infected due to deep decay, repeated dental procedures on the same tooth, or a crack or chip in the tooth.

Will it be painful?

With today’s modern technology and local anesthetics, most people report that they’re comfortable during the procedure.

How long does the procedure take?

Generally, a root canal procedure is completed in one or two appointments, each lasting about 90 minutes.

How long will the tooth last after a root canal?

With proper care, a tooth that has had a root canal treatment can last a lifetime.

What is the success rate?

When performed by a competent Bentonville dentist, root canal treatments have a high success rate. According to the American Association of Endodontists, root canal therapy has a success rate of over 97%. The treated tooth can last a lifetime with proper care and hygiene. It’s important to remember that the longevity of treatment can be influenced by the patient’s overall health, oral hygiene habits, and regular dental check-ups.

Experience Painless Root Canal Treatment

At Hope Dental Professionals, we believe that every patient deserves exceptional dental care. If you’re experiencing any symptoms mentioned above, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with Dr. Pate. Preserve your smile and improve your oral health with our expert root canal treatment. Contact us today to book your consultation.