Obtaining Root Canal Therapy Is a Great Way to Repair the Smile and Save Natural Teeth

At the Hiebert Smith Dental Group, patients in the area of Saint Helens, OR are welcome to ask our team about a wide range of solutions for their smile. This may include some otherwise unsavory treatments like the dreaded “root canal.” It is so important for patients to understand that root canal therapy is not a painful procedure—in fact, it is performed to relieve patients of pain while maintaining the tooth and saving it from extraction.

What is root canal therapy?

Root canal therapy is a procedure that is performed by a dentist to save a tooth from requiring extraction. Patients who may need this procedure are those experiencing:

• An abscess
• An infection/inflammation
• Trauma to the natural tooth
• A severe toothache

When root canal treatment is recommended, our dentists will walk patients through the process.

First, patients are made comfortable with proper local anesthetics and sedation. Once this occurs, the dentist will create a small hole in the tooth which allows him to access the inner canals, or channels. inside each tooth is a mass of tissues known as the dental pulp that is removed during this treatment. The inside canals are then disinfected and filled with a material called gutta percha. The entire tooth is then sealed off with composite resin bonding, and then some patients may have a dental crown placed over the tooth to offer an extra layer of protection and strength.

The entire process can be done in one appointment, unless a dental crown is necessary as this is created and put in place at a later time during a second visit. Patients who have root canal therapy will enjoy the relief from pain and knowing that they did what was best for their smile. Avoiding extraction of a natural tooth also saves patients time and money, as restorations such as implants, bridges, or dentures would then be required to repair the smile.

Ready for root canal therapy?

Contact Drs. Hiebert and Smith of Hiebert Smith Dental Group in the community of Saint Helens, OR to discuss your options. We welcome new and existing patients into our facility at 1550 Saint Helens Street, and our front office team can be reached at (503) 397-6144.