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Once upon a time, if you had a tooth with a diseased nerve, you'd
probably lose the tooth. Today, with root canal
therapy, odds are the tooth can be saved and with
it...your smile!
After a thorough examination Dr. Hagley can take care of your
discomfort quickly and professionally. Generally a
root canal is a relatively simple procedure that causes
little or no discomfort. While Grand Rapids Dental
Care can provide care for patients needing root canal
therapy, Dr. Hagley also maintains an extensive network
of dental specialists to whom patients needing
specialized care can be referred.
Click
Here
to Learn How to Make An Appointment |
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Root Canal
Treatment Can Save Your Smile.
 What
is it?
Root Canal treatment is used to treat problems of the
tooth's soft core (the pulp). Pulp is the
soft tissue that contains nerves, blood vessels and
connective tissue. It lies within the tooth and
extends from the crown of the tooth to the tip of the
root. When the pulp is diseased or injured and cannot
repair itself, it dies. The most common cause of
pulp death is a cracked tooth or a deep cavity.
Both of these problems can let germs (bacteria) enter
the pulp and cause an infection inside the tooth.
Left without treatment, pus builds up at the root tip in
the jawbone, forming an abscess. An abscess
can cause damage to the bone around the teeth.
When the infected pulp is not removed, pain and swelling
can result. Certain byproducts of the infection
can injure your jaw bones. Without treatment, your
tooth may have to be removed. Years ago, teeth
with diseased or injured pulps had to be removed.
Luckily, the development of root canal treatment has
given dentists a safe way of saving teeth.
Root Canal treatment
involves from one to two visits. Most are single
appointments. During treatment, Dr. Hagley removes
the diseased pulp. The pulp chamber and root
canal(s) of the tooth are then cleaned and sealed.
Generally the tooth will need to be restored after root
canal therapy. A gold or porcelain crown may need
to be placed over the tooth. A tooth restored
through root canal treatment could last a lifetime as
long as the teeth and gums are well cared for through
good home care and regular dental checkups.
The steps of root canal
treatment:
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Decay is removed to expose
the pulpal tissue and allow access into the
canals. |
The pulpal tissue is removed
with special files. |
The canals are shaped to allow obturation of the
root canal system. |
The canals are obturated
(yellow), completing the root canal and is ready
to be restored. |
The missing tooth structure is replaced and the
tooth is
returned to function. |
Searching
for a Grand Rapids Dentist?
Call
Grand Rapids Dental Care today at 218-326-3438.
Let us partner with you to achieve a lifetime of health,
happy smiles!
 Grand
Rapids Dental Care
220 SE 21st Street
Grand Rapids, MN 55744
Phone: 218-326-3438
Fax: 218-327-1475
Email:
smile@grdental.com |
