Get Relief and Improve the Health of your Smile with Root Canal Therapy

Root canals are tooth-saving procedures that alleviate pain and preserve your toothโ€™s natural structure. At Freedom Dental in Fairfield, California, Cheng Zhu, DMD, provides expert root canal treatment to save compromised teeth. If you have tooth pain that suggests you need a root canal, call the Freedom Dental office or book an appointment online today.

Root Canals Q & A

What is a root canal?

Dr. Zhu performs a root canal when the pulp deep inside your tooth enamel is infected. This pulp consists of blood vessels and nerves that are important to your toothโ€™s development but are no longer essential once your tooth is fully matured.

During a root canal, Dr. Zhu removes the infected pulp and replaces it with a biocompatible material. He leaves the main structure and root of your tooth intact.

How do I know if I need a root canal?

Routine X-rays may reveal an infection in your toothโ€™s pulp. Often, youโ€™ll have symptoms, too, that include:

Doctor Is Hanging a Dummy Crown
  • Pain in the affected tooth
  • Abscess or pus drainage
  • Prolonged sensitivity to hot and cold
  • Tooth discoloration
  • Soreness when youโ€™re chewing or pressing on the tooth.

If youโ€™re experiencing any of these symptoms, donโ€™t wait to contact Freedom Dental. Delaying treatment can allow the infection to spread, which can cause you to lose the tooth entirely. 

Symptoms can also show up in a tooth thatโ€™s had a prior root canal. Usually, this is an indication that the root canal has failed and requires retreatment.

What happens during a root canal?

Dr. Zhu numbs the treatment area, so you wonโ€™t feel any pain, just pressure, during your root canal.

He then makes a small hole in your tooth to access the pulp. He scrapes away all of the infected material and rinses the area with a special solution to make sure no bacteria lingers. 

Dr. Zhu places gutta-percha, a rubbery material, into the space where your pulp was. The site is carefully sealed to complete the procedure. 

You need a porcelain crown to top off the tooth and protect it from any further damage. Freedom Dental processes these crowns in-house using the CEREC system, so you donโ€™t have to schedule a separate visit for crown placement.

Is a root canal painful?

A root canal isnโ€™t painful, but the symptoms that cause you to need one are. You may feel sore and sensitive for a few days following the root canal, but these side effects subside, and you get long-term relief from long-term pain. 

If pain continues for a week or more after your procedure, contact the office to make sure you donโ€™t have a complication from the procedure.

If you suspect you need a root canal, call Freedom Dental at (707) 416-0626 to set up a consultation. You can also request an appointment online.

Many Happy Faces

Root canal therapy is a very common procedure. It has a reputation of being undesirable and painful. But when done properly it is actually painless. Every tooth in your mouth is composed of a crown and a root. When a cavity or bacteria penetrates the tooth, the root and its nerves become irritated. As a result, the bacteria within the pulp cavity needs to be removed and cleaned in order to restore the tooth to its healthy state. Following the procedure, the tooth is fragile and consequently is restored with the natural crown for a lifetime of durability. Root canals have a success rate of 95% or greater. Most root canal are diagnosed by patientsโ€™ sensitivities to a specific tooth. Be sure to consult your dentist any symptoms or discomfort occur.