Restorative & Implant Care
Root Canal Treatment in Jenkintown, PA
The treatment that keeps a tooth that would otherwise come out.
Root canal treatment deals with infection or damage inside the tooth. The space the nerve occupied is cleaned, shaped and sealed, so the tooth can stay in place and keep working instead of being extracted.
Exceptional care for a lifetime of healthy smiles
Root canal treatment at MVP Family Dental
Inside every tooth is a chamber containing nerve and blood vessels. When bacteria reach it – through deep decay, a crack, or trauma – that tissue becomes inflamed and then infected, and the tooth has no way to resolve it on its own.
Root canal treatment removes that tissue, disinfects and shapes the canal system, and seals it. The tooth is no longer vital, but it stays in the jaw, in its own socket, doing its job.
The reputation problem
It treats the pain, it is not the pain
Root canal treatment has a reputation built on the toothache that precedes it rather than on the treatment itself. Four things are worth being clear about.
- The pain came firstWhat people remember is the infection. The treatment is what stops it.
- It is done under anestheticThe tooth is numbed the same way it would be for a filling.
- It saves the toothThe alternative in most cases is extraction, and then deciding how to replace the tooth.
- A crown usually followsA treated back tooth is more brittle and is commonly crowned afterwards to protect it.
How treatment works
Cleaned, shaped, then sealed
Treatment may be completed in one appointment or across two, depending on the tooth and on what is found once it is opened.
- DiagnosisTesting and imaging establish whether the nerve is involved and which tooth is actually responsible.
- Access and cleaningThe tooth is numbed and isolated, and the canal system is opened, cleaned and disinfected.
- Shaping and sealingThe canals are shaped and filled with a sealing material so bacteria cannot re-enter.
- Restoring the toothThe access is sealed, and a crown is commonly recommended on a back tooth to protect it under load.
The alternatives
What else could happen to the tooth
Where a nerve is irreversibly damaged, the realistic choices are narrow. Your dentist will explain which apply to your tooth.
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Root canal treatment
Keeps the natural tooth in place and functioning, usually with a crown afterwards to protect it.
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Extraction
Removes the tooth and the problem with it, but leaves a space to decide about – an implant, a bridge, or leaving it.
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Doing nothing
Infection inside a tooth does not resolve on its own and can spread into the surrounding bone. Not a neutral option.
Signs the nerve is involved
What sends people in
Not every toothache is a root canal, and some teeth needing treatment cause no pain at all – the nerve can die quietly and the problem show up only on an X-ray. That is another reason routine imaging earns its place.
Where there is swelling of the face or gum, that is not something to wait on. Contact us promptly rather than waiting for a routine appointment.
- Lingering sensitivityPain to hot or cold that continues well after the stimulus is removed.
- Pain on bitingA tooth that is tender to pressure, or that aches spontaneously, particularly at night.
- Swelling or a gum boilA sign infection has reached beyond the tooth. Contact us promptly.
Useful to describe
- Whether the pain is triggered or comes on by itself.
- How long it lasts after hot or cold.
- Whether you can point to a single tooth or it feels spread out.
- Any swelling, and whether it has changed.
Afterwards
Tender for a while, then settled
The tooth is commonly tender to bite on for a period after treatment while the tissues around the root settle. Your dentist will tell you what to expect and what would be worth reporting.
Do not delay the final restoration. A tooth left in a temporary filling is at risk of the seal leaking and of fracturing under load – which can undo the treatment entirely and cost you the tooth after all.
A root canal is not the problem. It is the answer to the problem that woke you up.
MVP Family Dental · Jenkintown, PA
The short answer
Root canal treatment removes infected or inflamed pulp tissue from inside a tooth, so the tooth can stay in place instead of being extracted. The canal system is opened, cleaned, disinfected, shaped and sealed under local anesthetic, across one or two appointments depending on the tooth. A crown is commonly recommended afterwards on a back tooth, because a treated tooth is more brittle and needs protecting under chewing load.
Root Canal Questions
- What is a root canal?
- A root canal is treatment for infection or irreversible damage to the nerve tissue inside a tooth. Inside every tooth is a chamber containing nerve and blood vessels, and when bacteria reach it – through deep decay, a crack, or trauma – the tooth has no way to resolve that on its own. Treatment removes the affected tissue, disinfects and shapes the canal system, and seals it. The tooth is no longer vital, but it stays in the jaw, in its own socket, doing its job.
- Is it painful?
- No – the tooth is numbed with local anesthetic first, the same way it would be for a filling. What people remember as painful is usually the infection that made the treatment necessary, not the treatment itself. Root canal treatment has a reputation built on the toothache that precedes it. The tooth is commonly tender to bite on for a period afterwards, while the tissues around the root settle.
- Why not just take the tooth out?
- Extraction is a genuine option, but it removes the tooth and leaves a space to decide about – an implant, a bridge, or leaving it. Root canal treatment keeps your own tooth in its own socket and avoids that decision entirely, where the tooth is restorable. Doing nothing is not a neutral third choice: infection inside a tooth does not resolve on its own and can spread into the surrounding bone. Your dentist will explain which of these apply to your tooth.
- How many appointments does it take?
- One or two. Treatment may be completed in a single appointment or across two, depending on the tooth and on what is found once it is opened. The sequence is the same either way – diagnosis, then access and cleaning, then shaping and sealing, then restoring the tooth. Your dentist will tell you which is likely for yours.
- Will I need a crown afterwards?
- Commonly yes, particularly on a back tooth. A treated tooth is more brittle than it was, and a crown protects it against fracturing under chewing load. Do not delay the final restoration – a tooth left in a temporary filling is at risk of the seal leaking and of fracturing, which can undo the treatment entirely. Your dentist will recommend what your tooth needs once treatment is complete.
- Can a tooth need root canal treatment without hurting?
- Yes. A nerve can die quietly, with no pain at all, and the problem may only show up on an X-ray at a routine examination. That is one of the reasons routine imaging earns its place in a check-up. Not every toothache is a root canal either – testing and imaging are what establish whether the nerve is involved and which tooth is actually responsible.
- My face is swollen. What should I do?
- Contact us promptly rather than waiting for a routine appointment. Swelling of the face or gum is a sign that infection has reached beyond the tooth, and it is not something to wait on. Infection inside a tooth does not resolve on its own. When you call, it helps to say where the swelling is and whether it has changed.
- How long will the tooth last afterwards?
- A treated and properly restored tooth can serve for many years. The final restoration is what matters most – leaving the tooth in a temporary filling puts it at real risk of the seal leaking and of fracturing under load, which can cost you the tooth after all. A crown is commonly recommended on a back tooth for that reason.
Dr. Vineetha Thomas, D.M.D.
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Dr. Priya Mathew, D.M.D.
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