Non-Surgical Root Canals

Receiving a root canal is a preferable alternative to the removal of the tooth. Root canal therapy is able to save the natural teeth and prevent the need for dental bridges, dental implants, or dentures. When patients hear that they may need a root canal, they may feel some apprehension and assume that they’ll be undergoing some type of surgery. However, most of the root canals performed in our office are non-surgical root canals.

Difference Between Surgical & Non-Surgical Root Canals

Non-surgical root canal therapy can be thought of as just a very deep filling. While root canal therapy is definitely more in-depth, the basic goal is the same. Both procedures begin with drilling into the tooth, cleaning out any decay, bacteria, or infection, and then filling in the hole. During a non-surgical root canal, we would simply be drilling further into the tooth than with a traditional dental filling.

While most root canals can be performed non-surgically, there are a few situations that may require a surgical root canal. These situations can include:

• If the infection is too severe
• If the source of pain or the tooth fracture is not visible in an X-Ray

During a surgical root canal, an incision is made in the gum so that the root canals can be accessed from the side and the infection can be safely removed. Luckily, the pain caused by an infection in the tooth means that most endodontic issues are caught early enough to have a non-surgical root canal procedure.

If you believe you’re suffering from an endodontic problem, please don’t hesitate to contact Syrpes & Pangborn. Our endodontic office is located here in Centennial, Colorado.