Cosmetic Dentistry and Skin Care Blog

Do the words “root canal” bring anxiety, sweaty palms and a shiver down your spine? It’s a common reaction in many dental patients—but the fear is largely unfounded. To help you make an informed decision about the health of your teeth, it’s important that you have all the information. Read on for the real lowdown on root canal therapy.

Why Do I Need a Root Canal?

Root canal therapy is recommended when your mouth pain is caused by an irreversible tooth condition. For example, you may need a root canal because you’ve left a cavity untreated. As decay erodes your tooth, it eats through to the tooth’s pulp—or center. This allows bacteria into the pulp, which causes inflammation, reduced blood supply—and severe pain. Your dentist may also recommend a root canal if you’ve experienced a past trauma or severe tooth fracture and the tooth is dying from the inside out. While avoiding a root canal may seem like the least painful option, it could save you from increasing pain, dangerous abscess or complete extraction of the affected tooth.  

During your root canal procedure, the specialists at Smile and Skin will (1) remove the tooth’s pulp, (2) clean the tooth’s center and apply antibiotics, if needed, (3) fill the tooth’s center with a rubbery material (called gutta percha), and (4) seal the tooth with a crown, cap or other restorative filling.

Are Root Canals Painful?

While root canals have the reputation for being painful, it’s important to remember that they’re performed to eliminate existing pain. Prior to the procedure, Dr. Meola and his team will numb the area surrounding the affected tooth to prevent you from feeling pain during the procedure. However, for some patients—the anesthetic injections are not enough to relieve their root canal anxiety. In those cases, your reputable sedation dentist can help you to relax and make your appointment pain and anxiety free.  Don’t allow severe anxiety to prevent you from a much-needed root canal procedure. Instead, ask your cosmetic dental team about safe sedation options.

After a root canal is performed, it’s common for the tooth to feel tender and sore. You may require a soft diet for a few days, and your dentist may recommend the use of over-the-counter analgesics, like Tylenol, Motrin or Aleve. These low-risk medications should take care of post-procedural pain, and when an experienced dentist performs your root canal, your discomfort should be short-lived. Once your root canal heals, your tooth should be restored—both functionally and aesthetically. You’ll be surprised at how pain-free the process can be.

Plagued by tooth pain? Call Smile and Skin today to schedule your dental consultation or inquire about our extensive line of cosmetic dental procedures. 

Benefits of Invisalign

Coined the "invisible alternative to braces," Invisalign treatments consist of a progressive series of clear, thin aligners designed to adjust the position of your teeth, one step at a time. This simple, attractive aligner system offers a range of indisputable benefits, including:

1. Bracket and wire-free design: Invisalign inserts are virtually invisible, so you'll never have to worry about braces getting in the way of showing off your smile. In addition, the aligners are easily removed for eating, flossing and brushing-so there's no need to work around brackets and wires while maintaining your teeth health. Invisalign also eliminates the bracket staining that may go along with brace removal-so there's no need to tack a teeth whitening expense on to your alignment costs.

2. Reduced treatment time: Many teens and adults commit to wearing braces for years before their teeth are straight. And, while Invisalign plans differ based upon the individual patient, total treatment time averages nine to 15 months-which is much shorter than the average brace treatment of two years or more. In addition, Invisalign technology allows you to view "virtual straightening results" based on your specialist's recommended treatment plan-so you can look forward to your post-Invisalign look.

3. No speech changes: Unlike metal braces, headgear and traditional retainers, the slim, concealed design of Invisalign aligners won't impact your speech. You'll articulate speech clearly-without the lengthy adjustment period that comes with bulky wires, brackets and rubber bands.

Thinking about a smile transformation? There are summer specials and complementary bleaching available with your Invisalign treatment.

Call Dr. Meola's team today to schedule your no-obligation Invisalign consulation. When you're ready to begin, we'll use Invisalign's precision, three-dimensional analysis of your mouth to custom craft your aligners-and develop your ideal treatment plan.

Have you heard the buzz about cosmetic dentistry or sedation dentistry, but need to learn more?

Are you interested in a free consultation to learn about your options?

Dr. Damian Meola and his experienced staff are experts in the field of Cosmetic Dentistry and Skin Cart, and for a limited time, are offering free consultations to the residents of the Boston area community.

To ask a question or register for a free consultation, fill in the form on the right today.