When a tooth becomes infected, it's necessary to remove the source of infection through root canal therapy. We understand that you may have anxiety about the procedure, but we want to assure you that it will be comfortable for you. Treatment, in fact, is the most comfortable option, because an infected tooth will never heal on its own. The unpleasant consequences of an infection in a tooth's pulp only get worse and more painful with time.

Because your comfort is important to us, we make sure that your mouth is thoroughly numb before we begin root canal therapy. Next, we place a rubber dam around the infected tooth to isolate it from the rest of your mouth. The rubber dam keeps your tooth dry and accessible, and prevents anything from falling to the back of your throat.

To get to the infected tooth pulp, we make an opening through the top of the tooth down into the pulp chamber. We use a tiny instrument called a dental file to carefully remove the infected tissue and shape the root canals to receive a filling material. At this point, we may take X-rays to be sure that all of the infected pulp is removed. Sometimes, it's necessary for us to build up the tooth with a post and core. The post adds much-needed retention for the core material. It's cemented down inside one of the root canals.

When the procedure is complete, we'll schedule follow-up appointments to restore your tooth. Depending on your unique situation, we may use any number of techniques to restore the tooth, the most common of which involves the placing of a crown. When the time comes, we'll work together to decide which restorative procedure best suits your needs.