Well, maybe the piece of cake (or several pieces) caused the need for the root canal in the first place, but the point here is that no one needs to dread a root canal if one is needed. In NYC, doing a gentle, more or less pain-free root canal is a specialty of Fifth Avenue Endodontics.

Causes of the need for a root canal and common symptoms

The need for a root canal is often caused by:

• A tooth that is cracked
• A tooth that has a very deep cavity
• A tooth that has had repeated dental procedures
• A tooth that has undergone trauma.

Common symptoms that tell people they need to seek a root canal are:

• A tooth that is very painful when a person is eating
• Pressure on a tooth causing pain
• When there is a little bump on the gum near the painful tooth that looks like a pimple
• A tooth that gets dark-colored
• An area of swelling, or an area that is tender to the touch near an aching tooth.

Not all tooth pain is indicative of an infection, but these are definitely signs of an infection, and a need for a root canal by an NYC endodontist.

What happens during a root canal?

First the endodontist will take X-rays and examine them thoroughly to determine exactly where the roots of the tooth are and wherein the decay lies. X-rays may require a person to hold an appliance in the mouth in a position that may be a tad uncomfortable, but there is no pain involved.

Once the endodontist has a picture of where he or she will be working, the endodontist will begin by applying a topical local anesthetic to numb the gum so there is no pain from the needle with the other anesthetic. This is the same type of anesthesia used in a regular filling.

Next, the endodontist makes one or more openings in the tooth to remove the pulp from the roots and cleans out the roots. Then the roots that have been opened and cleaned out are filled with gutta-percha, an inert material, and sealed off with a cement. The final part of the root canal is the finishing part where a temporary crown is used while the permanent crown is being made.

The finale to the root canal procedure is the piece of cake. The patient can now eat without pain, and undergoes minimal recovery time.

Root Canal NYC

Dr. Iofin and Dr. Kim at Fifth Avenue Endodontics stand ready to help you with all your root canal needs in New York City, call us at 212-757-1000 today.