At Dental Care Center, we have assembled a team of both general dentists and dental specialists to offer full service care to our patients.
If your dentist recommends that an Endodontist (root canal specialist) perform a root canal procedure, we can accommodate your needs here in our Macon facility. This helps our dentists and the dental specialist communicate more efficiently regarding your care.
A root canal is usually the recommended procedure to save a tooth that has become infected, rather than removing it.
During a root canal procedure, a small opening is made in the crown of the tooth to access the roots. After the infected tissue is removed, each root chamber, or ‘canal’ is disinfected and sealed to help prevent re-infection.
Following a root canal procedure, the tooth is restored with a crown to protect the remaining natural tooth structure.
Your dentist or endodontist may recommend 3D cone beam radiography to obtain a close up view of your tooth prior to the root canal procedure. 3D imaging software gives the dentist the tools to rotate the tooth digitally and view tooth roots using magnification. This can be very helpful in determining the size and shape of tooth roots as well as reveal any ‘hidden’ tooth roots. (Molars and bicuspids sometimes have a root that is positioned behind another root or concealed by bone, making it difficult to detect visually and radiographically).
In spite of what you may hear, root canals can be just as comfortable as other dental procedures such as fillings or crowns. Your dentist will numb the area with local anesthetic before starting the root canal process. If you have an abscess or toothache, it may be necessary to prescribe antibiotics or other medications prior the root canal procedure to get the infection under control and alleviate pain.
Our goal is to monitor our patients' oral health with preventive care and periodic dental examinations to address dental problems as early as possible. If you have questions about root canals or are in need of a dental office near you with multi-specialty providers, please Contact Dental Care of Macon.
We will be happy to assist you!
