A root canal treats an infected or inflamed nerve inside a tooth and lets you keep the tooth instead of losing it. With modern numbing, it typically feels no worse than a filling, and it’s what ends the toothache. Dr. Barry Diamond treats root canals at Diamond Dental in Beachwood.
Tooth pain right now? We offer same-day emergency appointments. Call (216) 206-8075.
Inside every tooth is the pulp: the nerve and blood vessels that run down through the roots. When deep decay, a crack or an injury lets bacteria reach the pulp, it becomes inflamed or infected. It can’t heal on its own.
A root canal removes the damaged pulp, cleans and disinfects the canals inside the roots, and seals them. The tooth is then protected with a filling or a crown. You keep your natural tooth, and the pain from the infection goes away.
Sometimes there are no symptoms at all, and the problem shows up on an x-ray.
Is it ever too late? If the tooth is too broken down or the infection has damaged too much of the root and bone, it may not be restorable. At that point extraction is the option. The sooner a painful tooth is checked, the more likely it can be saved.
Root canals have a reputation they no longer deserve. The tooth is fully numbed first, and most people say the treatment feels much like getting a filling: pressure and vibration, not pain.
The real pain usually comes before treatment, from the infection itself. Afterward, the tooth may be tender for a few days, which usually responds to over-the-counter pain relief.
Dr. Diamond confirms the cause of the pain and that the tooth can be saved.
The tooth and surrounding area are numbed.
The infected pulp is removed, and the canals are shaped and washed with disinfecting solution to kill the bacteria.
