Root Canal Specialist
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Kyle D. Kern, DMD
Family & General Dentist located in Newberg, OR
Root canals have a bad reputation, but they’re actually important procedures that help patients get out of severe dental pain. Root canals are relatively painless and can save an infected tooth from extraction. Kyle D. Kern, DMD, provides gentle and effective root canals that alleviate his patients’ pain and restore their oral health. If you’re suffering from an infected tooth, don’t wait for it to get worse. Schedule your root canal today by calling his office in Newberg, Oregon, booking your visit online.
Root Canal Q&A
What is a root canal?
A root canal is a dental procedure that removes decayed, damaged, or infected pulp from your tooth.
Your pulp is the soft inner tissue of your tooth that’s composed of connective tissues, blood vessels, and nerve fibers. When your pulp is compromised, it swells, which pinches the nerves within and causes immense pain. By removing the damaged pulp, Dr. Kern can save your tooth and prevent the need for an extraction.
Movies and TV shows have mistakenly portrayed the root canal as a painful procedure, when in fact, it’s quite painless and actually alleviates a lot of pain. The real pain is in the infected tooth that necessitates the procedure in the first place.
Do I need a root canal?
If you have an infected tooth, then yes, you need a root canal. It won’t get better on its own. If left untreated, an infected tooth can lead to abscesses, tooth loss, and infection of other nearby teeth and jawbone.
Some of the signs that you might have an infected tooth include:
- Toothache
- Darkened or discolored tooth
- Swollen or tender gums
- Increased sensitivity to hot and cold
- Bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth
- Pus around the gum line near the tooth’s root
- A pimple-like pocket of pus near the tooth’s root
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, schedule a visit with Dr. Kern immediately.
What happens during a root canal?
After administering a local anesthetic and sealing off the rest of your mouth with a dental dam, Dr. Kern drills a small access hole in the top of your tooth. He then uses a small tool called an endodontic file to remove all of the diseased pulp within your tooth.
Once the inside of your tooth is free of damaged pulp, he cleans and sterilizes it, then fills it up with a rubbery compound called gutta-percha. In some instances, he inserts a tiny metal or plastic rod inside your tooth to help support its core. He seals the access hole with a filling and finally reinforces the structural integrity of your tooth by fitting you with a dental crown.
Does a root canal hurt?
Root canals are relatively painless procedures. Dr. Kern anesthetizes your tooth, gums, and the surrounding tissues, so it doesn’t feel any worse than getting a dental filling. The removal of the diseased pulp is also relatively painless — because the tissue is already dead, you won’t have any sensation in it.
Don’t wait around for your infected tooth to get worse. Schedule your root canal with Dr. Kern today and get your mouth healthy again. You can book your appointment by calling the office or scheduling a visit online.
