Root Canal Therapy

Root Canal Therapy Can Help Save Your Tooth.  A root canal is a common procedure at North Haven Dentists that can restore an infected tooth to its natural function and appearance. Despite popular myths, it’s typically no more painful than filling a cavity.

Why Would Dr. Aruri Recommend A Root Canal?

The reason that Dr. Aruri would suggest a root canal treatment is if your cavity is deep enough to become infected and spread to the nerves in the root of your tooth. Left untreated, a cavity this deep can become an abscess and may even lead to bone loss in your jaw as well as other health problems. If you happen to have cracked or damaged teeth (where your tooth’s nerves are exposed) Dr. Aruri may also recommend a root canal.

How North Haven Dentists Can Help: A Root Canal Can Keep You Healthy

When Dr. Aruri performs a root canal, he will clear your tooth’s canals of bacteria and infected tissue and then dry and seal them. Often, a crown is placed over your tooth for further protection. This can prevent infections from spreading to other areas and can help keep you and your smile healthy.

Root canal therapy is one of the most common dental procedures here at North Haven Dentists. Nearly 16 million root canals are performed in the United States alone each year. Don’t let root canal hearsay frighten you. Today, with safe and effective anesthesia, precise tools, and incredible imaging technology a root canal doesn’t have to be painful—in fact, it relieves pain.

We’re extremely experienced in root canal therapy. Please, if you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to ask us. Don’t let fear or anxiety keep you from receiving treatment. Your best oral and overall health may depend on it.

When Old Root Canals Go Bad

For a variety of reasons, root canal treatment may occasionally be unsuccessful, at which point additional treatment becomes necessary. One purpose of an endodontist evaluation is to identify specific causes of a dental problem and determine whether or not they will be able to correct it. When evaluating teeth that have already had endodontic treatment, a 3-dimensional image (CBCT scan) is extremely useful.

What Can Make Root Canal Treatment Fail?

One of the main reasons root canal treatment can fail is when all of the tooth’s canals were not identified and treated, or else were not completely cleaned. These are problems that can often be corrected with retreatment.

Another way treatment can become compromised is through leakage of salivary bacteria, which can contaminate the treatment area and lead to infection of the root canals and eventually the surrounding bone and gums. This leakage can either be the result of an ill-fitting crown or filling or else through new tooth decay. With poorly-sealed root canals, contamination will occur rapidly, unlike a well-sealed root canal, which effectively slows or prevents contamination and infection. This problem can also be corrected with retreatment in most cases.

Retreatment Goals At North Haven Dentists

Retreatment aims to achieve the same results as initial root canal treatment. Dr. Aruri will mechanically remove debris, tissue, and infection from within the canal spaces, then chemically disinfect those spaces, and finally seal them off with a root canal filling so that recontamination will not occur.

Before Dr. Aruri can do this, he must disassemble the existing restoration and previous root canal treatment, which can involve removing or making an access opening through the existing crown, or removing existing posts or cores. After disassembly is complete, he removes the previous filling material so that he can clean and disinfect all canal spaces. Sometimes, he will fill the canals with a temporary medication before completing treatment in a separate visit.

To complete the retreatment, Dr. Aruri seals the canals with a root filling. You may need to have a permanent restoration like a crown to be fabricated. A damaged or leaking restoration will need to be replaced, because a well-fitting final restoration is crucial for the treatment to succeed.

What Are My Next Steps For Root Canal Therapy?

If you live in North Haven Connecticut, give us a call. In a short conversation and consultation, we can answer all of your questions about how Root Canal Therapy can help you start feeling great about your smile.