Category: Root Canals

Preparing for treatment

If you walk into the office with an excruciating toothache and a swollen face from accumulated infection, you might expect treatment to be done immediately. However, that’s not always the best idea. Because the nerve is irritated and sensitized by the infection, it will not respond as well to anesthetic. If the nerve cannot be numbed, the treatment cannot be painless. In this situation, Dr. Dietrich prescribes a course of oral antibiotics first. This controls the infection, and allows the nerve to return to a normal state, so it can be numbed completely.

After taking antibiotics, all pain and swelling may be gone. However, this does not mean your tooth is okay. The infection has not been abolished, and the injured dental tissues have not been healed. Even if your tooth feels great, it is only temporary. When you quit taking antibiotics, the symptoms will return unless you have root canal treatment. Antibiotics are formulated for short-term use, and they can have serious side effects if taken continuously.

The procedure

Okay, this is where you think it gets bad, right? Think again! The process is very much like the procedure for treating a cavity, but it takes a little more time because we need to go deeper into the tooth. Dr. Dietrich will begin by numbing the tooth, and then creating a small opening in the upper part of the tooth. This gives him access to the, hollow areas (pulp chamber and root canals) inside of the tooth where the nerve and other soft tissues are located.

The diseased and damaged tissues are removed, and the canal is carefully cleaned. Medication is used to kill any lingering infection, before the canal is filled with a flexible material called gutta percha. It is sealed to ensure that infective organisms cannot reenter.

Finishing touches

There is one more step, after the root canal has been treated. That is restoration of the tooth. An access opening was created, and now it needs to be filled. This can be accomplished with a standard dental filling. However, teeth tend to become more brittle after root canal treatment. Dr. Dietrich may recommend placing a dental crown over the tooth to prevent potential injury.

Pleasant Dental is located in Dolton, IL, convenient to communities throughout the Chicagoland, including South Holland. Call us at [phone] and schedule an appointment today.

Myths and mystery

The unknown breeds fear; it’s a natural human reaction. Even when an unfamiliar experience is inundated with glamorous images and promises of good things to come, it makes us nervous. Traveling to a foreign country, buying a new car, or getting a trendy new haircut may come with high expectations, but there is also a sense of foreboding.

When we are facing something unknown and the hype surrounding it is all-negative, the fear can take over. No longer are we nervous that it will turn out badly, we are certain of the fact. Such is the case with root canal treatment. It has become synonymous with everything unpleasant in life. “As much fun as a root canal,” is a common expression used to describe a horrible experience. Naturally, is you’ve never undergone this procedure, you would be certain that it involves considerable pain and trauma. However, the horror of root canal treatment is the product of urban legend and popular misconceptions. Don’t believe us? Consider this: If you’ve actually had root canal treatment, you are statistically six times less likely to consider it painful than people who have no personal experience to draw on.

Modern treatment

Perhaps in bygone days of experimental medicine with no anesthetic, root canal treatment was traumatic, but the same could be said of most dental and medical procedures of that era. In the modern dental office, root canal treatment is common, routinely performed with little to no patient discomfort and excellent results. Residents of Dolton, Riverdale, and other IL communities are fortunate to have the opportunity to experience an exceptionally trouble-free, gentle root canal treatment. Dr. Dietrich takes extra steps to ensure the comfort of his patients, which is why our practice is named Pleasant Dental.

The secret to taking the pain out of this procedure is numbing the nerve. Frequently, when the dental pulp (soft tissue inside of a tooth) is damaged, it becomes infected, which creates pressure inside of the tooth. The infection effectively makes the tooth less responsive to anesthetic. In these cases, Dr. Dietrich begins by prescribing oral antibiotics, which reduces the infection enough to normalize the nerve function. That means anesthetic is effective, and you shouldn’t feel a thing during treatment!

You deserve a Pleasant Dental experience. Call [phone] and schedule an appointment with Dr. Dietrich today.

If you have a toothache, you might need a root canal procedure. Of course, there are many potential causes of toothaches, and therefore many potential solutions. However, just the possibility of needing a root canal is enough to keep many people away from the dentist. It is often said that we fear what we do not understand, which is probably the best explanation of why this gentle, effective procedure is so often dreaded.

Understanding the tooth

To understand the procedure, it helps to understand the basic anatomy of a tooth first:

• The crown is the visible part of the tooth, showing above the gumline.
• The root is the part of the tooth below the gumline, extending to the jawbone.
• Enamel is the hard outer layer protecting the crown.
• Cementum covers the tooth root.
• Dentin (a softer substance) is the layer beneath the enamel and cementum.
• Dental pulp, which includes nerves, vessels, and other soft tissues, in contained in a hollow space in the center of the tooth, surrounded by dentin.
• Pulp chamber is the name given to the portion of this hollow space that is inside of the tooth crown.
• Root canal is the name of the portion of the hollow that is in the tooth root.

Understanding oral infection

Even the cleanest mouth has an abundant amount of bacteria and other microorganisms. Ideally, brushing, flossing, and professional teeth cleaning will remove any accumulation before they chew into tooth enamel and cause damage. However, chips, cracks, existing cavities, and other tooth damage can give bacteria access to softer inner layers of the tooth. Individuals with gum disease are especially susceptible, because it causes the gumline to recede, exposing tooth roots. The cementum layer over the root is softer than enamel, and decays much more quickly.

Once infection reaches the dental pulp, it damages the nerves and increases pressure inside of the tooth. When it reaches the end of the root canal, it can affect the jawbone. The result is pain, temperature sensitivity, pressure sensitivity, and possible infection pockets (abscesses) forming near the tooth.

The solution

As you may know, the cure for infection is to kill or remove the bacteria. If you have an infected wound on your skin, cleaning and medicating it is usually rather simple. However, when it is inside of a tooth, the situation is more complex. By creating a small opening in the crown, Dr. Dietrich can access the pulp chamber and root canal to remove infection and apply medication. This procedure is known as root canal therapy.

You may have heard that an infected tooth can’t be numbed, making the procedure painful. Dr. Dietrich prescribes antibiotics to reduce inflammation, which relieves the nerve irritation. Using this technique, your tooth can be numbed for a comfortable process. Once the procedure is completed and the tooth is restored, it can remain beautiful and pain-free indefinitely with good hygiene and regular dental care.

If you have a toothache, don’t procrastinate seeing a dentist. Visit Pleasant Dental, where our gentle techniques live up to our name! Our office is conveniently located in Dolton, IL, for easy access from nearby communities such as Calumet City. Call us at [phone] and schedule an appointment today.

If you are like most people, you aren’t exactly excited about the idea of having a root canal procedure. It is probably the most feared, and most misunderstood, dental procedure. Your concern is understandable, considering the things you have probably heard. However, we would like to set the record straight about this gentle, pain-relieving procedure.

Myth: The procedure is painful. Fact: Root canal therapy relieves, not causes, pain.

The idea that this treatment hurts began in the primitive days of dentistry, long before effective anesthetics and precision technology was available. The myth is perpetuated by people who have only heard tall-tales. According to a survey conducted by the American Academy of Endodontists, six out of seven people who describe root canals as painful have not had one. Dr. Dietrich takes steps to bring the infection under control before the procedure, to ensure that your tooth can be numbed completely. You should feel nothing during treatment, and only minimal soreness afterward, which usually fades in a day or two.

Myth: Root canal therapy is dangerous. Fact: It is safe, and it removes infection from your body.

One flawed study, conducted in the 1920s, suggested that root canal treatment caused bacteria to leak into your body, and cause diseases ranging from kidney disorders to arthritis. This myth was actually debunked within a decade, as additional research in the 1930s discrediting the findings. To this day, there is no scientific evidence connecting root canal treated teeth with any disorders anywhere else in the body.

Myth: It’s better to pull an infected tooth. Fact: When possible, it’s best to save your natural teeth.

The success rate of root canal treatment is very high, when performed by a skilled dentist such as Dr. Dietrich. This procedure is also more economical than extracting and replacing a tooth. Many teeth last a lifetime after being treated. Dental implants are a great solution when a tooth can’t be saved; they are the next-best thing to a real tooth. However, there is no need to settle for next best, when you can keep the tooth that nature gave you!

Don’t suffer with the pain of an aching, sensitive, infected tooth. Call Pleasant Dental at [phone] and schedule an appointment with Dr. Dietrich today.

Let’s make this a really short article. The answer to the question in a word is… NO.

Next question.

OK for those who just can’t accept a simple answer and are like me always asking, “why” I will elaborate.

Most of the time when we do perform root canal treatment we do use antibiotics and often pain medication. This is used simply to treat the initial symptoms that often occur of pain and sometimes swelling. Both are typically caused by infection.

While this will initially settle the situation to the point where it is much more tolerable, it is by no means a solution. I usually tell my patients that I placed on antibiotics and pain medication that they have about three and maybe four weeks before the symptoms recur. That few week time frame is when the root canal treatment should be performed.

I will admit that in the course of treating teeth over the last 25 years (no getting old jokes please) I have had patients that came in swollen and in pain who I put on antibiotics and then didn’t see again for the better part of a year. They then returned yet again in pain for the same tooth. Like death and taxes (particularly in Illinois today) you can’t avoid the need for treatment.

You CAN avoid the root canal. Simply take the tooth out. But assuming you want to keep your tooth when you have been on the antibiotics it is just time to get the treatment done. You’ll only be putting off the inevitable if you don’t.

Antibiotics and pain medication are often a needed part of root canal treatment. But they are not a substitute for it. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security when the tooth feels so much better. Now is the time to get the final treatment completed.

Root canal therapy is a procedure that is more common than one may think. However, it is also a highly feared treatment because many patients in the South Holland, IL area are unfamiliar with the process.

Root canals are also known as endodontic therapy. This treatment is used to protect the natural tooth to avoid extraction. It requires Dr. Dean Dietrich of Pleasant Dental to make a hole in the tooth to access the inner dental pulp. This mass of tissues, which includes the blood supply and nerves, needs to be removed from the tooth with special instruments. The area is disinfected and then filled with gutta percha and composite resin bonding to seal the tooth. In many cases, patients may also have to have a dental crown fabricated to place over the tooth to strengthen it.

Root canal therapy is necessary in many different situations. It may be done if a patient has:

• An abscess
• A very large cavity that reaches the dental pulp
• A severe toothache
• Damaged or diseased nerves
• Infected or inflamed dental pulp
• Trauma to the natural tooth / breakage

Root canal therapy is often necessary, and patients should not be anxious if they are told they can benefit from the treatment. The procedure is quick and simple, and most patients will find that they feel better after having one completed. Pain and discomfort is often a sign that patients have an issue going on that needs to be addressed with treatment, whether it’s a filling, dental crown, or root canal.

Thanks to sedation methods, root canal therapy is relatively painless and patients have nothing to worry about if they require this particular treatment to bring their smile back to health. Our dental team will discuss with patients the advantages of having root canal therapy done in lieu of permanently extracting a tooth.

Several situations may cause patients to require a root canal procedure. While many think of root canals as painful processes that are dreaded by all, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, root canal procedures done at Pleasant Dental in Dolton, IL are often virtually painless. We administer local anesthetics to ensure patient comfort during treatment. Root canal procedures are also known for eliminating pain that often brings patients into our practice. A severe toothache is often a sign that this treatment may be necessary.

Root canal procedures may be done for a myriad of purposes. The procedure involves removing the infected tissues inside of the tooth. This is done during a relatively simple procedure by Dr. Dean Dietrich. It may be performed if there is an infection, abscess, decay, or disease that is affecting this inner portion of the tooth’s structure.

We ensure patients are fully numbed before we begin the treatment. Then, using special instruments, we clean and to the best of our ability sterilize the interior of the tooth. We then seal the areas in the roots that we cleaned to prevent future infections. Finally the tooth is repaired with a filling and often a crown.

Dr. Dean Dietrich and his team welcome new patients who think they may require root canal therapy and are looking for a comfortable and affordable dentist to provide the care. We work closely with dental insurance companies to get patients appropriate coverage for their necessary dental procedures. We want everyone to save money on dental care and be able to obtain the treatments needed to bring their smile back to health.