Endodontics

Endodontic Services at Premier Dental Center

If you are experiencing tooth pain, it is essential to contact your dentist right away. At Premier Dental Center San Antonio, we offer endodontic procedures that can save your natural tooth, even in the event of a dental emergency. Endodontics is a specialty that involves the root and pulp (nerve) of the tooth. In many cases, tooth pain is caused by an infection or disease of the pulp. A skilled and experienced endodontist can remove the diseased pulp, allowing you to avoid tooth extraction and extensive restorative dentistry procedures.

Knowing When to See an Endodontist

When you have tooth pain, you may not realize how many options are available to you for treatment. While only your dentist can assess the severity of the damage, there are some obvious ways to know whether or not you will be seeing an endodontist in the future.

• If you notice darkening of the tooth enamel
• If you experience sudden tooth pain with fever
• If you have severe pain after being diagnosed with a cavity
• If you have swelling, bleeding, or tenderness of the gums
• If you are sensitive to temperature
• If you have signs of infection or an abscessed tooth

Getting a Root Canal

It may seem like a scary diagnosis, but root canals today are a lot more straightforward than they were even ten years ago. At Premier Dental Center San Antonio, you can rest assured that we will keep you comfortable during this procedure. We start the procedure off with a local anesthetic and nitrous oxide, but we are happy to discuss sedation options for patients who are extra anxious. With modern technology and techniques, our endodontist can perform a root canal quickly and with as little pain as possible. Here is what you can expect from the root canal procedure:

• X-Rays. The dentist/endodontist will take updated x-rays to determine the place and severity of the infection and disease.
• Anesthesia. Our dental team will administer a local anesthetic into the tooth and surrounding gums to keep the area numb.
• Tooth Opened. The endodontist will make a hole in the top of the tooth for access to the pulp (nerve) and root.
• Pulp Removed. The endodontist will remove the infected and diseased pulp.
• Tooth Sealed. After the procedure, the endodontist will seal the tooth – in extreme cases, the endodontist will leave the tooth open to administer medication to heal the infection.

Endodontic Retreatment

Root canals are over 90% effective at eliminating infection and disease in the tooth, but in some cases, the infection may linger. The endodontist will then recommend an Endodontic Retreatment. The endodontist will reopen the tooth and determine why pain or disease still remains. As a last resort, the endodontist may recommend a tooth extraction.

If you are wondering if you need a root canal, an endodontist can perform a Pulp Vitality Test to determine how healthy the pulp (nerve) of your teeth is and whether or not a root canal would be necessary or successful.

Professional Root Canals in San Antonio, TX

Our Premier Dental Center office in San Antonio offers professional root canals and other endodontic services Our team is compassionate about creating an environment that is relaxing for even the most anxious of patients. If you are experiencing tooth pain or wonder if you may need a root canal, please schedule an appointment today.