Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy provides a quick and effective way to prevent extractions and preserve your natural teeth. At Pointer Ridge Dental Care in Bowie, Maryland, general dentist Shila Yazdani, DDS, MBA, and the team specialize in root canal therapy. Treatment typically takes less than an hour and is virtually pain-free. Call Pointer Ridge Dental Care to schedule a root canal therapy consultation, or book your appointment online. 

My tooth hurts. Do I need root canal therapy?

Root canal therapy treats infected or inflamed tooth pulp. The pulp contains nerves and blood vessels. It’s inside each of your teeth and lets you feel temperature sensations like hot and cold. 

Removing infected pulp stops the pain and prevents the infection from spreading. It also preserves your tooth, so you don’t have to undergo an extraction.

When is root canal therapy needed?

The Pointer Ridge Dental Care team uses root canal therapy to treat tooth pulp damage caused by:

• A chip or crack in the tooth
• An injury to the tooth
• Undergoing more than one dental procedure on the same tooth
• Deep decay caused by an untreated cavity

Don’t wait to seek treatment if you have pain in your tooth, swelling, or a sensation of heat in your gums.

What can I expect during root canal therapy?

Root canal therapy is an outpatient procedure that takes 60-90 minutes.

Your Pointer Ridge Dental Care provider numbs your mouth with a local anesthetic and removes the infected pulp from the center of your tooth. They clean the center of your tooth to eliminate harmful bacteria and fill it with a material called gutta-percha. 

After the gutta-percha dries, your dentist takes digital scans of your tooth. They upload your scans to the CEREC® milling machine and create a custom porcelain crown. When the CEREC machine finishes milling your crown, your dentist bonds it on top of your treated tooth. 

The crown restores your tooth to its near-original size and shape so you can bite and chew confidently. 

Root canal therapy stops the pain and prevents the infection from spreading. Since it preserves your tooth, you don’t have to worry about other more serious issues, like gum recession and bone loss. 

What is recovery like after root canal therapy?

After root canal therapy, it's normal to have mild pain and increased tooth sensitivity. Avoid biting down on your new crown for at least a day. 

After root canal therapy, it's normal to have mild pain and increased tooth sensitivity. Avoid biting down on your new crown for at least a day. 

Ice your cheek and eat soft foods for the first day to reduce discomfort. These include scrambled eggs, yogurt, and mashed potatoes. Your mouth should feel better within 48-72 hours, but contact Pointer Ridge Dental Care if your symptoms continue.

Call Pointer Ridge Dental Care today to schedule root canal therapy, or book your appointment online.