Root Canals

Dental Infection

Root Canal Therapy
The root canal is one of the most dreaded dental interventions. But is also one of the most misunderstood. When one hears the words root canal, images of archaic medieval torture may come to mind. But how did a procedure meant to alleviate severe pain gain such a bad reputation? Over the years, people have come to associate the pain that precedes a root canal with the procedure itself. Infections that penetrate into the roots of teeth cause extreme pain because they create abysesses that place extreme pressure on the dense nerve clusters in the tissues that surround the tooth. But the treatment used to relieve this pressure and destory the infection is a painless process. Aside from the injected anesthetic, there is no discomfort whatsoever. In fact, many patients are so relieved during the process that they fall asleep in the dentist's chair.

At American Dental Tours, all root canals are performed by endodontists, not general dentists. These "root canal specialists" are highly trained professionals who have completed two to three years of specialized education in addition to four years of general dentistry education. WIth their vast knowledge of the physiology of teeth and ultilization of sophisticated techniques and equipment, they are able to save severly diseased teeth which only years ago would have been deemed unsalvagable.  

tooth opening

1. The endodontist will begin by numbing the tooth and surrounding tissue with a local anesthetic. He will then drill through the top of the tooth to create an opening to reach the root of the tooth.

endodontic file

2. Special files are then used to remove the bacteria and diseased pulp from the inner chamber of the tooth. Aside from some light pressure felt in the jaw of the patient, this step in the treatment is actually completely painless to the tooth itself. After all the pulp is removed, the tooth will be incapable of feeling pain, even after the anasetic has worn off.

3. The inner canals of the tooth are then filled with an inert material known as gutta-percha. This will permanently seal the tooth and prevent bacteria and other debris from entering the tooth. 

dental filling material

4. The tooth then needs to be strengthened and rebuilt. A temporary filling will be placed above the gupta percha until a permanent crown can be fabricated. Typically, a permanent crown can be created by the lab within a day or two of the original root canal treatment.

5. In many cases, root canal therapy will weaken the overall structure of an already badly damaged tooth. A post is installed before the final crown to strengthen the tooth and redistribute the forces generating by chewing.

dental crown

6. Finally, a permanent crown is cemented into place. With proper care, these crowns can last well over 20 years and extend the life of the tooth indefinitely.



There may be some minor pain or swelling after root canal therapy. This typically only lasts for a couple of days, and can easily be remeded with over the counter anti-inflammatory medications. If you experience severe pain or bleeding, or pain that lasts longer than 3 days, you should contact your dentist to rule out any complications.

Some root canal treatments may require multiple visits. If a tooth is badly infected, the dentist may decide that the infection needs to be wiped up before beginning the treatment. Typically, a one-week course of anti-biotics will be prescribed, and the patient will be instructed to schedule a return appointment after the course is completed. It is extremely important to take the medication as instructed, until it is gone, otherwise the infection may return stronger than ever, and resistant to further antibiotic treatment. After the root canal specialist is confidient the infection is destroyed and brought down to a mangeable size, they will proceed with the treatment.
Because many teeth treated with root canal therapy are severely damaged, they will require a post and crown to strengthen them. This requires multiple visits, even in the absence of a severe infection requiring antibiotic treatment. At American Dental Tours, we understand the need for our patients to have all the steps involved with root canal therapy completed as quickly as possible, as our patients have return flights, must return to work, etc. We will work with our laboratory to have the post and crown completed as quickly as possible. With close coordination between Mexican dentists and dental laboratories, the entire process can be completed in 3 days if the patient is under a time-constaint. In America, this entire process can take many weeks.