Root Canal Therapy – McKinney, TX 

Treat Your Toothache Today!

If you’ve heard anything at all about root canals, you should know that many people think the procedure is much scarier than it actually is. The truth is that root canals are a safe, effective, and completely painless toothache treatment for people suffering from serious infections.

If you’re in McKinney and you have an aching tooth that’s nagging you, Dr. Cha and the team here at Lake Forest Dental are here to help. Give us a call today , and we’ll get you in for an emergency appointment ASAP!

Model of the interior of a tooth

Why Choose Lake Forest Dental For Root Canal Therapy? 

  • Early and Late Appointments That Fit Your Schedule
  • Experienced, Compassionate Dentist To Cater to Every Need
  • Accepts a Wide Range of Dental Insurance Plans

Do I Need Root Canal Therapy?

Woman talking to her dentist and holding her cheek

Root canals are typically done to address a condition known as pulpitis, which is an oral infection that has infiltrated deep within the tooth. This usually causes severe discomfort in the infected tooth—you might feel a pulsing or throbbing pain that seems to radiate constantly from the area of infection.

You could also experience other common symptoms of oral infection, like swelling in the gums or discoloration of the infected tooth. There may also be a dental abscess, a small pimple-like bump, on the gums near the painful tooth. In some rare cases, there may not be any pain at all, but the infection is still present and needs to be treated before it causes permanent damage or requires tooth extraction.

That all said, you would need a professional diagnosis to determine for sure whether an infection is the cause of your toothache and whether a root canal would be useful for you.

The Root Canal Process

3-D model of the step-by-step process of a root canal

The aim of a root canal is to remove any infected tissue within the tooth and replace it with a filling that will afford it some support.

We’ll begin the treatment by using strong anesthetics to numb the mouth completely. As a result, you’re unlikely to feel any of the steps that follow.

We’ll use specialized instruments to remove the infected pulp and clear out all of the bacteria. Then, we fill the tooth with a substance known as gutta-percha. This strengthens the hollowed-out tooth and works to keep the infection from returning.

Finally, we’ll cover the tooth with a dental crown. Initially, this will be a temporary crown designed to protect the tooth while the final restoration is crafted. A few weeks later when the permanent crown arrives, we’ll call you back into our office to complete the procedure.

The Benefits of Getting a Root Canal 

Dentist holding a tooth-themed graphic

As you may have gathered by now, the reputation that root canals have isn’t necessarily accurate. Root canals aren’t at all painful, and they’re incredibly useful to deal with oral health problems that may not be treatable by other means.

Typically, infections that necessitate a root canal only have one alternative treatment: extraction. Root canals save you the time and money involved with removing and replacing an infected tooth. The dental crown on the root canaled tooth will be subtle and strong, and many patients enjoy the results for a lifetime afterward. Looking at it that way, a root canal is actually something to look forward to!