At Fiddlehead Dental we will be happy to assist you with root canal procedures that involve front teeth. They have proven to be successful, painless and uneventful in our experience.

However, we have found that large molars are best treated by a specialist. Molars can be very complex to handle, making them a bit unpredictable in a dentist's hands who doesn't need to do a lot of root canals. (We find that this service is not called for very often with our patients.) If you have a molar that needs a root canal, we would rather see you have a comfortable, uncomplicated root canal experience and the best way to insure that is for us to refer you to a specialist (an endodontist) who exclusively does root canals, day in and day out. We will be happy to discuss your options with specialists too. We can assure you that the one's we work are sending the majority of our patients back to us with exceptionally good reports: no pain during or after the procedure, completed in one appointment and a surprisingly routine experience.

JUST WHAT IS A ROOT CANAL?

We find that our patients have more inquiry in this area than in any other procedure we do. There are many bad jokes and stories based on outdated methods with inferior technique than the ones we use with comfort here in our office on a daily basis. To dispel any myths that may exsist, let us give you a few brief facts.

PHYSICAL ANATOMY OF A TOOTH: Each tooth has one or more roots, and inside each root lies a small tunnel called the "root canal". Inside this canal are nerves and blood vessels which make up the living part of the tooth. We call this tissue the pulp.

HEREIN LIES THE PROBLEM: If germs get inside the pulp through a deep cavity or crack in the tooth, the pulp gets infected. Sometimes the same infection arises after a tooth receives a severe blow or has had the insult of many large filling procedures performed over the years. When the pulp becomes infected it usually hurts or is revealed by swelling.

IS THE TOOTH DOOMED?: Rarely do we have to remove a tooth that is infected. Root canal therapy removes the pulp from the tooth, kills the remaining germs, and seals the empty canal with a rubbery material. When properly performed, root canal therapy works perfectly 92% of the time. Only in rare instances does the tooth have to be removed to conquer the infection.

IS THERE ANY RELIEF IN SIGHT FOR THE PAIN?: Your initial visit to the office may be on an emergency basis. At this time you are likely to be given a prescription for an antibiotic which will begin the healing process by significantly reducing the infection. (This is very important to our being able to get the tooth completely "numb" at your first appointment." It will begin to take effect within 24 to 48 hours. In the mean time you will also be given a pain reliever to eliminate any discomfort you might be having.

HOW DO WE REMOVE THE INFECTED PULP?: The pulp is removed through a small opening in the chewing surface of the tooth, using tiny instruments called files. At the first appointment we use these files to flush out the infected debris and then we seal in a germicidal medication until your next visit. We like to wait at least 2 weeks to see if the tooth will remain without sensitivity. At the second visit, we re-cleanse and seal the canals if no evidence of infection remains. There are rare occasions when a third visit for this step may be necessary.

HOW IS THE TOOTH SAVED?: After root canal therapy, your tooth no longer has the source of interal moisture that the pulp continually provided. Without moisture, your tooth becomes brittle and may fracture. A "crown" surrounds the entire tooth as a thimble fits over your finger and holds the remaining tooth together. (A large filling may be done if the finances of a crown are a problem, but because it sits inside the tooth it will not prevent fracture. Crowning the tooth will predictably protect your investment in your mouth for the long term and should be done as soon as it is feasible.)