Root Canals

Root Canals in Chesapeake VA

Root canals are common dental procedures that save teeth from the need for an extraction. Dr. Webb has safely performed root canals on her patients for three decades. At Webb Family Dentistry, you can rest assured you will ​receive excellent root canal work from our office. Let us know about any comments, questions, or concerns you have and we'll help you understand the process. 

Professional Root Canal Procedures

We understand many people fear dental work. If dental anxiety is something you can relate too, then let us know and our team will do everything we can to help you feel safe, comfortable, and relaxed throughout the process. We're here to help and do anything we can to make our patients comfortable.

How A Root Canal Treatment Works

A persons teeth are meant to last a lifetime. With the changes in diet for people in general, teeth may not last a lifetime. Many years ago, injured teeth were pulled. However, with advances in dental techniques root canals became a better treatment option.

Injuring Your Dental Pulp

The inside of your teeth contain a soft tissue with blood vessels and nerves called pulp. When the pulp in your teeth becomes inflamed or infected, treatment is needed to prevent further damage. 

Causes Of Damaged Pulp

The most common causes of inflamed pulp include:​
  • Cracked tooth
  • Chipped tooth
  • Deep cavity or filling
  • Other serious injury to a tooth
These injuries can allow bacteria to enter the pulp, thus damaging the pulp.

Why Pulp Should Be Removed

If injured or inflamed pulp isn't removed, then the tissues surrounding the root of your tooth can become infected. Once this occurs, you may experience pain, swelling, or a combination of the two. Even if you experience no pain, bacteria can grow and damage the bone holding your tooth in the jaw. If you do not seek treatment, the damage will worsen and you'll need to have your tooth removed.

​When you remove a tooth, instead of replacing it, the teeth around that tooth may shift. This shift in your teeth can make biting and chewing more difficult. It can also make it harder for you to clean your teeth properly. Improper cleaning of the teeth could then lead to gum disease.

What Happens During Treatment?

A root canal treatment may involve multiple visits to our office. First, your tooth is numbed for your comfort. Then, we remove the pulp from your pulp chamber and root canal. The root canal is cleaned and shaped so it can be filled. Medicine may also be placed in your pulp chamber to remove any bacteria. Next, we fill your root canals with a rubber-like material to make sure they are sealed and protected. A temporary filling is placed in your tooth to prevent any contamination within your root canals. After this stage is completed, the temporary filling is removed and replaced with a crown to strengthen it. This new root canal filling can last you many years and prevent the need for removal of your tooth.

Call Us With Your Root Canal Questions

We're here to help you. If you have dental anxiety or questions about the process, give us a call and we'll be happy to help you understand everything and make sure you are ready for the process.