Why a Root Canal Is Not Something To Fear

root canal sedation Kelowna

Today’s Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair post addresses one of the most feared dental procedures: the infamous root canal.

If you are told that you need a root canal, don’t panic. Your dentist recommends this procedure when it is better for your tooth than the alternatives.

A successful root canal (or endodontic treatment in dental-speak) can save a tooth and prevent the need for an extraction followed by a dental bridge, dental implant, or gap in your smile.

If, after a thorough evaluation, we determine that a tooth needs a root canal, Dr. Malfair will explain the procedure and costs that are involved.

Root canals are carried out to save an infected tooth. If not treated, abscesses and complete tooth loss may occur.

During the procedure, Malfair will remove the nerve and pulp, and then clean and disinfect the interior of your tooth (the canal). The next step is filling and sealing the cleaned area with a special rubbery material, and then protecting the restored tooth with a crown or filling.

Root canals have the reputation of being painful, but this is not the case anymore. There are several effective pain management methods available today at Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair. We will make sure you are comfortable during the procedure. Once the infected tissue is removed, we will focus on helping the area heal.

If you are unfamiliar with our services at Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair, be sure to visit our website to get more specifics.

Contact Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair:

250-860-8900

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

301-1890 Cooper Rd
Kelowna, British Columbia
V1Y 8B7


Saving Teeth at Love Your Smile

When the nerve inside a tooth is infected by bacteria, we try to save it with root canal therapy. This procedure scares a lot of people. But at Love Your Smile in Kelowna, we want you to know that root canals are not nearly as bad as their reputation. In fact, they don’t cause pain, they relieve it.

During root canal therapy, the soft tissue in the root of the tooth is removed. This tissue contains veins, arteries and lymph vessels. Once the roots are taken out and widened, what remains is filled with a special rubber material.

The goal of this procedure is to save the tooth. Root canals have a high success rate: once it’s over, the tooth can last a lifetime, if it is properly cared for. That means regular flossing and brushing, and ordinary checkups and cleanings.

And yet, root canals have a terrible reputation. The truth is that patients come to us in pain because of an infected tooth. The root canal removes the pain. For the majority of patients, a root canal is about like getting a cavity filled.

At Love Your Smile in Kelowna, we have a lot of experience performing root canals. People from Mission, V1Y 8B7, and V1W 3C6 also come to us for complete restorative dentistry. Contact us today!

Contact Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair:

250-860-8900

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

301-1890 Cooper Rd
Kelowna, British Columbia
V1Y 8B7

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3 Problems Which May Require A Root Canal

V1W 3C6 family dentist

This post from Love Your Smile in Kelowna is about root canal therapy. Root canals are often feared, but they shouldn’t be, because they allow you to keep a tooth that would otherwise have to be extracted.

As the saying goes, knowledge is power. It can help when you understand what is happening during what can be an anxiety-inducing, though routine, procedure.

At the center of each tooth is tissue called the pulp. The tissue can be compromised by any of the following:

  • An injury to the tooth
  • A very deep cavity
  • A crack in the tooth

If this tissue becomes damaged or infected, it can build up at the root tip inside the jawbone and form an abscess. Left untreated, it can destroy the bone around the tooth and cause serious discomfort

When we perform a root canal, the dead or diseased pulp is taken out first. The space that is left is cleaned and then shaped and filled. This eliminates the need for the tooth to be pulled.

Root canals have a bad reputation, but remember, they don’t cause pain, they relieve it.

Root canals are among our restorative dentistry services at Love Your Smile in Kelowna. Patients from Mission, V1Y 8B7, and V1W 3C6 also come to our practice for complete cosmetic dentistry. Call to schedule an appointment today.

Contact Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair:

250-860-8900

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

301-1890 Cooper Rd
Kelowna, British Columbia
V1Y 8B7

 

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Calming Root Canal Fears

British Columbia Dentist Calms Root Canal FearsA dentist’s office is sometimes seen as a painful place. At Love Your Smile in Kelowna, we try to discourage that image with a caring staff. Even so, hearing they need a root canal can strike fear in the most courageous of our patients.

Root canals, known formally as endodontic therapy, still carry a strong association with pain. It doesn’t need to be that way. Root canals are performed on infected teeth, which can cause a great deal of pain. The root canal doesn’t cause pain, it relieves it.

When a tooth becomes badly infected or decayed, we clean the inside of the tooth by removing the bacteria, soft tissue (called pulp), decayed nerve tissue, and any debris that may be causing the tooth infection from the inside of the tooth. We then seal the tooth to prevent further decay, and finish by applying a crown or filling.

The process can be completed, typically, in just a few visits. In many cases, a root canal is a better option than removing the infected tooth since it allows you to keep your natural tooth.

Though root canals can be intimidating or scary, educating yourself and talking to the team at Love Your Smile in Kelowna can relieve much of your anxiety. We can provide sedation dentistry to get you through a root canal or other procedure. Call us today to schedule your next checkup.

Contact Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair:

250-860-8900

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

301-1890 Cooper Rd
Kelowna, British Columbia
V1Y 8B7

 

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The Cure, Not the Cause: Root Canals in Kelowna

The dentist’s office is sometimes seen as a painful place. At Love Your Smile in Kelowna, we do our best to dispel that image with a welcoming atmosphere. Even so, when patients hear they need a root canal, a lot of them are going to get tense.

It doesn’t need to be that way. With modern dentistry, a root canal isn’t much different than getting a cavity filled.

A root canal is a procedure done to relieve dental pain, and to save a tooth. That point gets lost sometimes. They usually become necessary when there is inflammation or an infection in a tooth’s root. We clean the inside of the tooth by removing bacteria, soft tissue (called pulp), decayed nerve tissue, and any debris. The tooth is then sealed, and a crown is put in place.

In other words, an abscessed tooth is what causes pain. A root canal is done to relieve it.

We want root canals, and all other procedures, to be as comfortable as possible. An option we provide is sedation. We offer oral conscious sedation, which means taking a sedative, and IV sedation, which is administered intravenously.

In addition to root canals, Love Your Smile in Kelowna provides general and cosmetic dentistry, and gum disease treatment. Call our office today to schedule an appointment.

Contact Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair:

250-860-8900

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

301-1890 Cooper Rd
Kelowna, British Columbia
V1Y 8B7