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Root Canal Therapy in Rochester, MN

root canal | root canal therapy | rochester mn

It's been said that tooth pain is some of the worst you can experience, and if you've ever been diagnosed with an infected or abscessed tooth, you know this to be true. The discomfort caused by an infection in your tooth can keep you awake at night, and cause issues with your normal daily activities.

The good news is that root canal therapy can eliminate your infection and immediately relieve your pain. You might be surprised to hear this since root canals are often thought to cause pain; however, the truth is that your infection causes your pain, and root canal therapy in Rochester, MN can alleviate not only your pain but also preserve your tooth.

Why does my tooth need a root canal?
What happens during root canal therapy?
Does the procedure hurt?
What are the common symptoms?
What are the benefits of getting root canal therapy?
My tooth doesn't hurt; do I really need a root canal?
Why do I need a crown after root canal therapy?
Did you know that you can prevent some root canals?
How can I contact your office if I need a root canal?

Why does my tooth need a root canal?

While many times the direct cause may be unknown, there are several common reasons why a tooth needs a root canal:

Trauma or an accident
Decay that reaches the nerve of the tooth
Cracked or fractured tooth

It is essential not to delay root canal therapy, as a tooth that's infected is not going to heal on its own. In fact, if you don't treat an infection, it will cause more pain, could affect surrounding teeth and may end up resulting in tooth loss.

What happens during root canal therapy?

root canal therapy | root canals | rochester mn The first step is to ensure your comfort during your procedure by making sure that your tooth is completely numb with a dental anesthetic. As an added bonus, the anesthetic also provides immediate relief from the pain and discomfort you're feeling from your infection.

During a root canal, Dr. Jarrett will remove the nerve and blood supply in your tooth, which will eliminate the infection. She will then place a filling material in the root of the tooth to prevent it from becoming reinfected, and seal it with a temporary filling.

Once your tooth is infection-free and has had time to heal properly, your Rochester dentist will strengthen your tooth with a permanent restoration like a crown or filling.

Does the procedure hurt?

Your comfort is our top priority at Quarry Hill Family Dental. During treatment, you can lay back and watch a movie on one of our overhead TVs or listen to your favorite music.

If you are feeling anxious or fearful about your procedure, you also have the option to receive nitrous oxide (laughing gas) during your root canal in Rochester. Nitrous helps many patients relax and takes away any anxiety or nervousness you may be feeling. Better yet, nitrous doesn't interfere with your normal activities, and you'll be able to comfortably drive yourself home after a treatment procedure with this type of sedation.

Dr. Jarrett also uses state-of-the-art equipment to complete root canal therapy called rotary endodontic tools. Nickel-titanium is used to make rotary endodontic tools, and it's flexible and much more comfortable for our patients than the stainless steel tools used in the past. Rotary instruments are also electric, which allows Dr. Jarrett to complete the procedure more efficiently.

By using modern technology and her advanced training, Dr. Jarrett can often complete the root canal in only one visit. After the appointment, most patients experience immediate relief from any pain or sensitivity.

What are the common symptoms?

When a tooth is infected or abscessed, there are several main symptoms you may notice:

Swelling around a tooth
Sensitivity to hot or cold that does not go away after a couple of seconds
Pain that interferes with sleeping or other regular activities
Discomfort when chewing

Contact Quarry Hill Family Dental right away if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.

What are the benefits of getting root canal therapy?

Once your tooth is infected, there are two ways that we can remove the infection. Dr. Jarrett will have to extract your tooth or perform a root canal procedure. When you choose root canal therapy to treat your tooth, your dentist in Rochester will be able to help save it, so you don't have to deal with the negative consequences of having a tooth extracted such as, managing the bone loss that occurs due to a missing root or your teeth drifting because of the open space.

Root canal therapy also alleviates your painful infection, that if left untreated, could begin to affect neighboring teeth or other critical areas of your body.

My tooth doesn't hurt; do I really need a root canal?

With state-of-the-art digital x-rays, there are times when Dr. Jarrett will be able to see the beginning of an infection within a tooth before you even feel any pain or sensitivity. While the tooth may not yet hurt, the infection will likely only get worse and may soon be waking you up at night. We always recommend treating the infection before any pain begins or you experience any further damage.

Why do I need a crown after root canal therapy?

During the initial examination of the tooth, Dr. Jarrett determines and discusses what follow-up treatment may be needed. In most cases, we recommend placing a crown over the tooth to help keep the tooth healthy and protect it from cracking in the future. A crown restores your tooth, so you have the same function with eating and chewing that you relied on before your root canal.

If it is a case where the tooth only needs a simple filling, we can complete the procedure the same day as the root canal.

Did you know that you can prevent some root canals?

There are actually many root canals that can be prevented with regular examinations every six months with Dr. Jarrett. For example, if she detects decay developing in your tooth in its early root canal | root canal therapy | rochester mn stages, she can often successfully restore the tooth with a simple dental filling. If the decay is left undiagnosed, or treatment is ignored, it will spread further into the tooth and could then reach the nerve and cause an infection.

You can be your own best advocate by being consistent about going to your six-month dental cleaning and checkups or contacting your dentist in Rochester, MN, as soon as your tooth starts to feel sensitive. Being proactive about your dental health will save you time, stress, and money by helping you avoid more invasive procedures like root canal therapy.

How can I contact your office if I need a root canal?

Are you having tooth pain? Our team at Quarry Hill Family Dental understands the importance of finding a dental office you can trust, especially if you need treatment such as a root canal. By providing comfortable root canal therapy at our dental office, Dr. Jarrett will help you get immediate relief from the tooth pain you may be experiencing.

Call our Rochester, MN dental office today at (507) 216-9891 to book your appointment with Dr. Jarrett, and don't hesitate to contact us if you are experiencing dental pain or sensitivity. Our convenient early morning or evening appointments make it easy for you to find time in your busy schedule to complete your treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need a root canal?

You have probably heard of the term “root canal” and probably not in a positive light. In the past, root canals were complex procedures that could be lengthy. Today, we perform root canals in our Rochester, MN dental office using the latest technology and instruments to ensure your comfort and improve the outcome.

So, what is root canal therapy, anyway?

Infections can develop anywhere inside the body – your teeth included. When a tooth infection develops in or near the root of the tooth, it can become inflamed and painful. Often, infections worsen over time, especially without some type of professional intervention like a trip to your Rochester, MN root canal dentist.

A root canal procedure can actually save your tooth from requiring extraction. Since the pain that accompanies a root infection can be severe, we recommend you contact our dental office at the first sign of discomfort.

As with all treatments, we ensure that you are completely comfortable for your root canal in our Rochester dentist office and use plenty of local anesthetic to see you through. Once your root canal is complete, you will feel better and better each day until you have completely healed.

Dr. Molly Jarett will often recommend a dental crown to protect your tooth and smile.

Why do I need a crown instead of a filling following my root canal?

A root canal in Rochester, MN is tooth-saving therapy that relies on removing the infected pulp deep within your tooth. This is more complex than a simple dental filling, and our dentist in Rochester, MN takes the right steps to keep you relaxed and comfortable throughout the process.

However, because it is a more complex therapy than a simple dental filling, your tooth may require something more substantial than a filling following your root canal therapy, especially if the tooth is weak and vulnerable to breakage.

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that goes over the weakened tooth to help prevent loss and breakage. Dental crowns in our Rochester, MN dental office are colored and designed to match your smile. No one will guess that you even have a dental crown.

Signs that you may need root canal therapy include:

Tooth pain
Tooth sensitivity
Gum pain
A blister on your gum
Increased pain when chewing

If you have one or more of these symptoms, it is essential to contact our dental office sooner rather than later. A root infection can spread, compromise your tooth, and even lead to tooth loss.

We invite you to contact our dental office to schedule an exam with our dentist in Rochester, MN today.

How long will a root canal treatment take?

If you had a root canal in the past, you probably remember it taking multiple appointments and perhaps a long recovery time. As with all areas of medicine, dentistry technology has advanced dramatically over the last couple of decades. With the introduction of rotary endodontics into our Rochester, MN dental office, root canals are faster and more comfortable than ever.

Rather than using small handheld files to manually clean out infected canals, rotary endodontics relies on electric handpieces with tiny flexible titanium tips to gently remove bacteria without damaging the tooth. Not only is it fast, but it’s also far more comfortable, and it takes only one appointment to complete root canal therapy in our Rochester, MN dental office.

Naturally, we make sure that you are completely numb before starting your procedure. Most people find that they feel dramatically better once we numb the tooth. It’s fairly normal to feel a little sensitive for a few days as the infection heals and swelling dissipates. In many cases, we recommend a dental crown to cover the root canal tooth to protect it from damage.

To learn more about modern root canal treatment in Rochester, MN, contact Quarry Hill Family Dental.

How do I know I need a root canal?

As with all dental conditions, a dental exam in our Rochester, MN dental office will determine the best course of treatment to resolve any pain or dental conditions that occur. However, there are a few symptoms that might point to the need for a root canal procedure.

Swelling – root infections cause inflammation, like any other type of infection. Swelling can occur in the gums, jaw, face, or even the neck depending on the location of the infected tooth.

Pain – It’s normal to have pain with an infection. It might start out as mild discomfort and slowly escalate into the type of pain that keeps you awake at night or keeps you from being productive at work. It’s important to remember that dental pain is always an indication that there is trouble brewing and you should call your Rochester, MN emergency dentist right away for root canal evaluation.

Hot and cold sensitivity – Sensitivity, especially to heat, can also point to an infection.

Gum sore – A small bump or hole in the gums, called a fistula, might form near the infected tooth.

If you suspect you need a root canal in Rochester, MN, Contact Quarry Hill Family Dental. We reserve time for patients in pain, so you don’t have to wait.

Meet Our Doctor:

Dr. Molly Jarrett

Dr. Molly Jarrett was born and raised in Rochester, just minutes from the office. As a child, she spent many hours in our very building, which was once home to the veterinary practice run by her father, Dr. Gary Noser.

After ...