Root Canal Therapy in Airdrie
Sierra Dental Airdrie is a full-service Family Dental Clinic in Airdrie.
We provide comprehensive general dentistry and specialty services for patients of all ages including Root Canal Therapy.
Our goal is to help you improve your family’s smile and keep your teeth for life.
Our team of Airdrie endodontists and dental hygienists take a personalized approach to your dental care and we want to make your visits with us as comfortable as possible.
Schedule an appointment online today or call our office at (403) 768-1000.
Meet Our Endodontists
Dr. Kiarash Shabehpour
Dr. Kiarash ShabehpourDr. Kiarash Shabehpour (or Dr. Kia as his patients tend to call him) started his dentistry journey in 1998. After earning his DDS degree in dentistry and practicing for a few years, he moved to Canada with his wife.
In Canada, he attended dental school again at the University of British Columbia for his 2nd degree in dentistry, this time a DMD, practiced for a few more years in both Vancouver and Prince George and then completed three extra years of specialist training in Endodontics at UBC. Dr. Shabehpour primarily helps his patients and colleagues with root canal-related treatments and surgeries on a referral basis. He is fluent in English and Farsi.
Dr. Adriana Hernandez
Dr. Adriana HernandezDr. Adriana Hernandez obtained her BDS degree in Venezuela in 2005. Following several years of successful practice as a general dentist, she decided to further her expertise by specializing in Endodontics. Her journey as a specialist in Endodontics allowed her to serve the dental community in Venezuela with high skill and dedication for several years.
Later on, Dr. Hernandez, along with her husband and three children, relocated to Canada. In Canada, she pursued additional dental education at the University of British Columbia, where she earned certification for her specialty degree. Today, Dr. Hernandez primarily assists patients and colleagues with root canal treatments and endodontic surgeries on a referral basis. She is fluent in English and Spanish.
Understanding Root Canal Therapy
The space inside the hard layers of each of your teeth is called your root canal.
This canal is filled with a soft pulp made up of nerves and blood vessels that help the teeth to grow and develop.
Normally the dental pulp is protected by hard layers of dentin and enamel, but deep decay or fractures due to bite or other trauma can injure the pulp and allow bacteria to enter the chamber.
Root Canal Therapy
Root canal therapy is a gentle and highly effective procedure in which the pulp is removed and the tooth is sealed.
This treatment is the only way to save an infected tooth, but it does cause brittleness in the tooth structure.
To maintain the treated tooth’s strength and stability it needs a dental crown to prevent further damage.
Endodontics is the branch of dentistry that deals with tooth pulp, commonly referred to as “the nerve.”
This involves the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of dental diseases that affect the pulp.
Teeth that are inflamed, infected, cracked or traumatized will typically require endodontic therapy, more commonly known as a root canal.
It’s true that root canals have an undeserved bad reputation, but it’s also true that today, root canals are typically painless, easy and highly successful.
What To Expect?
Your first visit is typically an endodontic evaluation.
This includes 1 or more X-rays, a discussion about any symptoms you may be experiencing, specific testing of the teeth in the area and discussion about possible treatments, including their advantages and disadvantages.
If your dentist thinks root canal therapy is a good solution to treat your tooth, a typical appointment will last 60 – 90 minutes, depending on the complexity of your tooth.
Root Canal Procedure
Root canals are safe and predictable.
They involve freezing the area being treated, placing a rubber dam over the affected tooth, a little drilling (usually less than 5 minutes), and then cleaning the inflamed or infected pulp tissue out of the tooth.
Sometimes a root canal will take more than one visit.
If that’s the case, your dentist will pack some medicine into the roots of your tooth and then place a temporary filling in the hole. After 2-3 weeks, you will return to have the tooth cleaned out again and the roots filled with a rubber material called gutta percha.
It is important to recognize the pain may go away after the initial cleaning appointment, but not all of the bacteria might have been removed.
Not coming back to have the procedure completed can often end result in an even larger infection, sometimes requiring hospitalization.
It is imperative to the success of the root canal to place a filling in the roots.
After a Root Canal
Following a root canal, roughly half of the people will experience no pain, while the other half will experience mild-moderate pain that they can manage with over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
About 5% of people experience moderate-severe pain and require prescription medications.
Please call any time with questions or concerns about your treatment.
Lastly, all teeth will require a buildup (commonly known as a filling) to close the hole created to remove the nerve. Most teeth will require a crown after the root canal, so it is important that you see your dentist shortly after your treatment is completed.
Delay of this process may result in the tooth breaking, so this procedure should not be delayed.
Studies show that teeth that are restored within 2 weeks of root canal treatment have the highest success rates.
Schedule an appointment with Sierra Dental Airdrie by contacting us at (403) 768-1000 or online here.
EVENING & WEEKEND APPOINTMENTS
We understand that you are busy and don’t always have time to visit a dentist for a routine checkup in the middle of your Monday. That’s why we offer extended hours from 7:00 AM to 8:30 PM Monday through Thursday.
We are also open all throughout the weekend. That’s right, we’re open every day of the week.
DIRECT BILLING TO INSURANCE PLANS
To support our clients, we offer direct billing, predeterminations of treatments, and financial arrangements to all our patients to ensure smooth and easy payment transactions.
PAYMENT PLANS & FINANCING AVAILABLE
We understand that dental services can be an unexpected expense. That’s why we offer flexible payment plans and options to suit our patients’ needs. Speak with one of our dental assistants to learn more.
FREE PARKING
At Sierra Dental, you will never struggle to find parking. Our clinics offer convenient parking options that are free of charge to our patients. It’s one more way we work to put a smile on your face.