Root Canal Treatment
Our Marietta dental office is very conscientious in treating our patient’s dental and emotional needs. Marietta Dental Solutions is proud of our two gentle, caring and attentive dentists. The caring nature of our staff and especially our dentist attracts patients from all over metro Atlanta. Our Marietta office is very close to Kennesaw, Acworth, Woodstock and since we are off I-575, we are easy to reach from most of metro Atlanta.
Dentist generally feel that root canal treatments are usually a better treatment alternative than extraction of the tooth for most individuals. If a tooth has good bone support, a solid surface and healthy gums beneath it, it stands a good chance of being saved. Opting for root canal treatment can be a less expensive option than the alternatives. Dental implants, extensive bridgework and the creation of aesthetically pleasing prosthetic teeth, while excellent options in certain circumstances, generally cost more than saving the tooth with a root canal treatment. Those treatments also require maintenance and may feel less natural than a “real” tooth, so root canal treatment generally the treatment of choice for our Marietta dentist when the chances of success is high. Our dentist will help you balance the risk of failure with the cost of treatment, and most of the time treatment can be completed by our dentist right here in our Marietta dental office.
Root canal treatment involves the removal of any defective filling material and all decay, the cleansing of the root canals, and the packing and crowning of the tooth. In short, root canal treatment is a highly predictable, routinely recommended treatment with a high success rate. It gives us the opportunity to save or even salvage teeth that may otherwise be lost to extraction. Its long term success is very dependent on a crown being placed to protect the tooth from fracturing post treatment.
Why is root canal treatment required?
Though the prospect of root canal treatment might not be pleasant, root canal treatment is fairly simple. In general, the whole treatment can be completed in 1-3 visits, including your crown. Our dentist will be happy to tailor your root canal treatment to your needs and constraints.
There are a number of reasons why root canal therapy unexpectedly fails, including:
Cracked tooth or leaking filling material.
Curved or narrow canals not treated during the original procedure.
Delay in the placement of a crown.
New decay in the tooth.
New fracture in the treated tooth.
Undetected complex root canal structures.
What does root canal treatment involve at Marietta Family Dental Solutions?
On the day of the root canal treatment procedure, our dentist will administer a local anesthetic to numb the treatment area. The affected tooth may be isolated with a rubber dam. The amount the dentist can complete within a single appointment will mainly depend on the amount of infection present, and the complexity of the treatment. Generally at Marietta Family Dental Solutions, our dentist is able to complete the root canal treatment in 1 visit, the crown typically takes two but we are able to complete it on the same day too in some cases.
The first step in the actual root canal treatment is to gain access to the inner tooth. If a filling had been placed, these will be removed. If an existing crown is still well sealed, our dentist will attempt (successfully most of the time) to salvage it by accessing the tooth through it.
Next, the root canals will be measured and debrided via instrumentation and chemical disinfecting. Tiny instruments will be used to clean and reshape the root canals. The final debridement is conducted using an ultrasonic hand piece. The advantage of using this tool is that any unwanted material is vibrated loose. X-rays may be taken to ensure that the roots are thoroughly clean. If this part of the treatment proves to be complex, medicated packing material will be applied, and the rest of the cleansing procedure will be done at the next visit.
When our dentist is confident that the root canals are completely clean, gutta-percha is used to pack the space. This rubbery material seals the canals to prevent bacterial invasion. Finally, a temporary crown or filling is applied to tooth. At a later date, the color-matched permanent crown will be placed, unless another protocol has been discussed with our dentist.
If you have any questions or concerns about root canal treatment, please ask our dentist. Marietta Dental Solutions is proud to have been offering Root Canal treatments for 17 years, our dentist are gentle and conscientious. We have treated very nervous children as young as 7 years old with Root Canal treatments and elderly adults with difficult canals or medical conditions. Our dentists are simply among the best Root canal dentist in Marietta, Kennesaw, Woodstock, Acworth or even metro Atlanta.
