Emergency Root Canals (CEREC)
Emergency Root Canal Treatment in Arlington Heights, IL
James Kakos DDS invites you to come to us for all your routine and sudden dental care needs in Arlington Heights, IL, including emergency root canal treatment. Patients must undergo this procedure when their tooth pulp becomes infected to relieve their pain, save their tooth, and prevent more severe medical problems. Let us provide the caring dental treatment you need to stay healthy and live without pain.
What Is a Root Canal?
Root canal treatment is a dental procedure that we use to treat infected or damaged tooth pulp. It involves removing the affected pulp, cleaning the inside of the tooth, and sealing it to prevent further infection. This treatment helps save the natural tooth and alleviates pain, restoring normal function and oral health.
How Do You Perform a Root Canal Treatment?
To perform a root canal, our dentist first numbs the tooth and the surrounding area. We then create a small opening in the tooth to remove the infected pulp. The inside is cleaned, shaped, and disinfected. Once we finish cleaning the space, we fill and seal it. Finally, we often place a crown to protect and restore functionality.
Cases We Treat at James Kakos DDS
At James Kakos DDS, we treat cases where the tooth pulp sustains damage or gets infected, but we also treat periapical tooth issues and pathology of the pulp through root canal treatment. Our endodontist, Dr. Jonathan Wong, is ready to treat the following cases:
- Endodontic surgeries
- Vital tooth therapy (preserving your non-inflamed tissue while removing the inflamed tissue)
- Regenerative therapy (tooth development when it’s missing healthy pulp tissue)
How Long Does the Pain From a Root Canal Last?
The pain after a root canal procedure typically lasts a few days because the surrounding tissues may be inflamed. Over-the-counter pain relievers often help manage discomfort. If pain persists longer than a week or worsens, contacting your dentist is essential. This issue may indicate complications requiring further evaluation or treatment.
What Are Alternatives to Root Canal Treatment?
Alternatives to root canal treatment include tooth extraction to remove the affected tooth entirely and replacing it with a dental implant, bridge, or partial denture. Additionally, in very minor cases of decay, a filling or pulp capping may suffice if the damage hasn’t reached the nerve. This option preserves more of the natural tooth structure.
Why Do I Need a Root Canal?
Root canal therapy is essential to save a tooth with an infected or inflamed pulp. Without it, the infection can spread, causing pain, swelling, and potentially leading to abscess formation. Ignoring treatment risks tooth loss and further complications, making root canal therapy a vital step in preserving dental health.
Stages of Root Canal Therapy
The steps James Kakos DDS’s team takes to perform root canal treatment ensure we achieve the best possible results to save your tooth and prevent further complications. We’ve outlined the stages of root canal therapy below:
- Diagnosis and X-ray to determine the extent of damage.
- Local anesthesia to numb the area.
- Removal of infected or damaged pulp tissue.
- Cleaning and shaping of root canals.
- Filling canals with biocompatible material.
- Temporary or permanent filling to seal the tooth.
- Follow-up and possible crown placement for protection.
Other Dental Services We Offer
James Kakos DDS’s office offers comprehensive dental care for general, cosmetic, and emergency needs. You can come to us for cleanings, fillings, veneers, Invisalign®, crowns, laser gum lifts, teeth whitening, and much more. We also offer dental implants, including All-on-4 implant tooth replacement.
Why Choose James Kakos DDS?
Our comprehensive dental care is a compelling reason to trust us with your routine, cosmetic, and emergency procedures. However, you can also count on us for stellar patient care, using cutting-edge dental tools and technology to ensure we stay current with our field’s most trusted and effective developments. Get in touch today to schedule dental care near you.
Frequently Asked Root Canal Questions & Our Answers
You deserve outstanding dental care whenever you have a concern or routine checkup, and that includes having sufficient information to ensure your comfort and confidence. The following are examples of our customers’ frequent questions about root canals and our answers to each of them:
This is a common worry among patients, but there’s no need to be concerned when you visit us for a root canal. We use a local anesthetic to numb the affected area before starting the procedure, so you stay comfortable the entire time.
One of our dentists or our endodontist, Dr. Wong, will carry out the procedure, including creating a hole to access the tooth pulp, removing it, cleaning the empty space, filling it, and sealing it.
It’s common for patients to experience pain in the affected area for a few days after root canal therapy, but over-the-counter pain medication should relieve it and make you more comfortable. In many cases, we’ll place a crown over the tooth to protect it and ensure you can eat, speak, and smile normally.
To avoid needing root canal treatment, you must practice excellent oral hygiene by brushing and flossing daily. Regular dental checkups are crucial for identifying issues early. You must also avoid sugary foods and drinks and wear protective gear during sports to prevent dental injuries.