Root Canal Therapy in Houston, TX

This is a huge myth! Modern root canals at our Houston office are very similar to getting a deep filling. The pain people associate with root canals is actually the infection before the procedure. Once we numb the area with a local anesthetic, you shouldn’t feel anything but a bit of pressure. In fact, most of our patients tell us the procedure was a huge relief because it finally stopped the throbbing toothache they had been enduring.

That is often a sign of a dental abscess, which is a pocket of infection at the tip of the tooth’s root. It means the bacteria have traveled through the pulp and are looking for a way out through the gum tissue. If you see this, it’s a clear signal that you need root canal therapy immediately. At Next Care Dental, we treat this as an urgent matter to stop the infection from spreading to your jaw or other parts of your body.

Since we remove the nerve and blood supply (the pulp), the tooth is no longer alive in the traditional sense. However, it is still anchored firmly in your jawbone. In the past, these teeth sometimes turned dark, but with modern techniques and the placement of a high-quality porcelain dental crown, your tooth will look just as bright and natural as the ones next to it. No one will be able to tell you even had a root canal.

We recommend waiting until the numbness from the anesthetic has completely worn offusually a few hours so you don’t accidentally bite your lip or tongue. For the first few days, your jaw might feel a bit tender from holding your mouth open, so sticking to softer foods is a good idea. Once we place your permanent crown in a follow-up visit, you can get back to enjoying all your favorite foods without any hesitation.

Yes! In almost every case, we use a local anesthetic that only numbs the specific area around the tooth. Since you aren’t being put under with general anesthesia, you’ll be fully alert and capable of driving yourself back to work or home in the Westheimer area immediately after we’re done.