If you have an infected tooth, Dr. Cox may recommend root canal therapy to alleviate your pain and rid the tooth of infection. Dr. Cox has been performing successful root canal treatments for years, so you can rest assured that you will receive quality treatment at Scarsdale Smiles. An infected tooth can negatively affect your day-to-day life and cause excruciating pain, so contact our office and get your dental health back on track!
Dr. Cox has extensive experience performing successful root canal treatments
With numbing and sedation, root canal therapy is virtually pain-free
With early intervention, a root canal will save your tooth and prevent the need for extraction
We focus on function and aesthetics, so you can rest assured that your tooth will look and feel natural after your treatment
Root canal therapy, or Endodontic Therapy, is a restorative treatment used to repair infected teeth. If your tooth’s outer layers of enamel and dentin are damaged by a serious cavity or dental trauma, this may expose the interior “pulp” to bacteria.
Eventually, this will result in the pulp becoming infected. The pulp is what supports your tooth and keeps it alive. During root canal therapy, specialized tools are used to open up a small hole in your tooth and remove the source of the infection.
First, Dr. Cox will numb your mouth and isolate your infected tooth with a dental dam. Then, he will make a small opening and use special dental tools to extract any damaged, decayed material from inside your tooth.
Once this step is complete, he will sanitize and disinfect the inside of the tooth. The empty space will be filled with gutta-percha, a rubber-like material, that will help support your tooth’s structure. Finally, your tooth will be restored with a filling or a dental crown.
This typically depends on the location of the tooth. If it is one of your rear teeth (molars & premolars), a crown is usually recommended. For front teeth (canines and incisors), a filling is usually a better choice.
Your bite puts more pressure on your rear teeth compared to your front teeth. A dental crown ensures that your tooth is strong enough to hold up to regular chewing after root canal therapy. Since the front teeth are not used as much for chewing, they usually do not need a crown.
Not at all. Although root canals have a bad reputation thanks to pop culture, root canal therapy is a completely painless procedure. You won’t feel any pain or discomfort at all during your appointment, and Dr. Cox will make sure of that. He will use anesthetic spray and a numbing needle to prepare the treatment area, and he will ensure the treatment area is completely numb before beginning the procedure.
We also offer sedation dentistry in Scarsdale, so if you’re nervous about your upcoming dental procedure, you can choose to be sedated with mild laughing gas sedation, or deeper, pill-based oral conscious sedation. Even if you’re nervous or anxious about your upcoming dental procedure, we will provide you with the care you need.
In fact, not only does root canal therapy not hurt, but it actually relieves your pain. Infected teeth usually cause an excruciating, painful toothache. This is because the nerves in the tooth are dying, and this causes a lot of pain.
By extracting the damaged pulp, sealing the tooth, and capping it with a crown, Dr. Cox removes the source of this pain, restoring your tooth and eliminating your pain and discomfort. So if you have a toothache in Scarsdale, don’t wait. Contact us and schedule an appointment right away to get the relief you need.
You don’t need to do anything special after your root canal. Your tooth may feel a little bit sore after your numbing and sedation wears off, but this should go away after a day or two. You can get back to your normal routine right away.
The only thing you need to worry about is your temporary resin crown, if applicable to your situation. If you’ve received a temporary crown, you will need to take care when brushing and flossing. Be gentle around the area to avoid dislodging it. You also should avoid chewing really sticky, tough, or hard foods on that side of your mouth.
If you maintain good oral hygiene, a healthy diet, and see Dr. Cox for a six-month oral exam and teeth cleaning, you can dramatically reduce the risk of tooth decay and tooth infection. Brush twice a day for two minutes, and floss once per day. Eat a diet that’s low in sugar, and avoid sugary beverages in favor of tap water.
Don’t miss your six-month appointments, either. During this time, Dr. Cox can identify cavities that are forming, and take action to treat them before they progress, become worse, and result in a tooth infection. A filling is faster, cheaper, and simpler than a root canal, so recognizing the issue early is important.
Another common cause of damaged teeth is traumatic oral injuries. These injuries can crack the teeth and require treatment with root canal therapy. Of course, not all injuries are avoidable. But some can be avoided with a custom-fitted mouth guard.
Mouth guards cushion your teeth and protect them from damage, and should be worn when you’re playing contact sports or engaging in other high-risk activities and hobbies like skateboarding or mountain biking. If you do fall or strike your mouth, the risk of severe tooth damage will be much lower.
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