What Is a Non-Surgical Root Canal? Things to Know

Every year, dentists across the country perform more than 15 million root canals to save the ailing teeth of their patients. Root canal procedures can either be surgical or non-surgical, but non-surgical root canals are actually the most commonly performed. Here is a look at some of the things you should know as a patient if you are scheduled for a non-surgical root canal at the dentist.

1. Non-surgical root canals are essentially a very deep filling.

When a root canal is performed, the dentist is drilling deeper into the root of the tooth instead of just through the surface layers that they drill through when doing a regular filling. The hole is drilled through the small canals in the root and filling material is used to protect and restore the stability of the tooth.

2. Non-surgical root canals do not require any kind of incision.

Contrary to popular misconception, a non-surgical root canal is not going to require any kind of incisions to be made. With a surgical root canal, the dentist may make an incision in the soft tissue to access the root of the tooth instead of going through the tooth itself.

3. Non-surgical root canals do involve the use of anesthetics.

Even with a non-surgical root canal, the dentist will use a localized anesthetic to help numb the area before they get to work. As you can imagine, the root of the tooth is surrounded by nerves that are sensitive to any work being done, so every measure is taken to ensure you are not feeling anything while the work is being done. You may have some pain and tenderness after the procedure when the anesthetic wears off, but over-the-counter pain relievers do tend to be enough to help.

Contact Us About Non-Surgical Root Canals in Mountain View, CA

Getting a root canal can mean the difference between keeping a tooth that has a lot of issues and having to have it extracted. Therefore, root canals are a viable dental treatment option to preserve your smile. If you would like to know more about non-surgical root canal treatment, reach out to us at the office of Dr. Joseph M Cassara in Mountain View, CA to schedule an appointment.