Problems with Severely Decayed Teeth? You May Need Root Canal Treatment!

When cavities are small, they seldom cause pain, making them easy to ignore. Over time, however, small cavities can grow into deep decay that spreads to the pulp of your tooth, infecting the connective tissues and nerves. A pulpal tooth infection needs more than a regular filling to fix. Severe decay needs root canal teeth treatment. Dr. Cheng Zhu from Pleasant Hill Dental is your go-to dentist for root canals in Pleasant Hill, California.

When Are Root Canals Needed

The pulp of your tooth contains canals with blood vessels and nerves that nourish your tooth. If these tissues become damaged or destroyed by decay, you could lose your tooth. Without treatment, a severely decayed tooth would need to be removed. A root canal can save your tooth from extraction by removing the diseased pulp, tissues, and nerves. Root canal therapy also protects nearby teeth by keeping the infection from spreading. 

Some common causes of pulpal tooth infections are:

• Severe decay
• Trauma to your tooth that causes nerve damage
• Chips or cracks in your tooth that allow bacteria to enter the pulp

By contacting Dr. Zhu at the first sign of tooth pain, we can diagnose your condition to see if you need root canal treatment. 

Root Canal Procedure

Root canals are performed under local anesthesia to keep you from feeling pain or discomfort. Dr. Zhu will numb your tooth right before treatment. We’ll then drill your tooth to access the diseased pulp and tissues so they can be removed. After removing the pulp, we’ll disinfect your tooth chamber and canals to get rid of the remaining infection that can spread to healthy teeth. 

Once your tooth is cleansed, we’ll widen the canals using special dental tools and apply gutta percha filling. This filling seals your tooth from future infection. The last step is crowning your tooth. A dental crown will fortify your weakened tooth to restore its usefulness. 

Root Canal Teeth Treatment Near Me

Need a consultation for root canal treatment? Contact Dr. Cheng Zhu from Pleasant Hill Dental in Pleasant Hill, CA, at (925) 693-7077.