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Root Canal Therapy
Chicago, IL
Here at Cameo Dental Specialists in River Forest, IL we want all of our patients to have something to smile about! We also understand that oral hygiene accidents can and do happen to everyone. When you have a tooth that is suffering from extreme, or deep infections, many times we can save the tooth with the help of a root canal. Root canals allow our patients to keep their natural teeth and avoid extraction and tooth replacement procedure that can be quite costly.

What Is Root Canal Therapy?


Root canal therapy is performed on teeth that are at risk of needing extraction due to decay that reaches deep into the tooth, or if your tooth has suffered significant trauma and we believe that we can save it with a root canal. To better understand what root canal therapy is, it helps to understand the different layers of your teeth.

The Enamel – Outer Layer


The outer-most layer of your teeth is called enamel. Enamel is extremely hard an does a good job of protecting your teeth from damage. Enamel is white, and there is only a finite amount of it. It wears down over years of use and can be strengthened with the help of fluoride rinses, washes, and toothpaste. Enamel is the front-line in the fight against tooth decay.

Dentin – Middle Layer


Dentin sits below the enamel and provides the tooth with the structural support it needs to help you chew your food. Dentin is yellow in color and will begin to show when the enamel wears away.

Pulp And Root – Inner Layer


The inner-most layer of your teeth is known as the pulp, which contains the root of your tooth. The pulp is a biological substance as opposed to a mineral like dentin and enamel.

When infection reaches into the pulp layer of the tooth, or if the tooth is damaged via trauma down to the pulp, a root canal will sometimes save the tooth.

Dr. Rick examining a patient's x-ray for root canal in Chicago at Cameo Dental Specialists.

Reasons You May Need A Root Canal


The most common reasons you might need a root canal are a serious infection and physical trauma. When a cavity affects only the enamel, or the enamel and the dentin, we are almost always able to repair the problem using a filling. When the infection reaches the pulp, that’s a different story. Because there is no reliable way to be sure that we have removed all of the infected material from the pulp of the tooth, the best way to ensure that the infection is removed is to remove all of the pulp and the root from the tooth. The same concept applies to traumatic injury to the teeth – once it reaches the pulp, it’s better to be safe than sorry when infection is a possibility.

Root Canal Procedure


A root canal is a common procedure that we have performed many hundreds of times. Once we apply a local anesthetic to numb you and any sedation that you desire, we will begin the procedure by using a dental drill to access the pulp layer of your tooth. We will carefully remove the root and the pulp from within the tooth and replace it with an inert substance called gutta-percha after we wash it with an anti-bacterial wash. Usually, the last step is placing a crown on the tooth to protect it from further damage or infection.

Call Cameo Dental Specialists today at (630) 425-4488 to schedule your appointment today!
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Root Canal Therapy Chicago IL
A root canal procedure might be necessary if you need to save a damaged tooth. Visit our website for more info & call today to schedule with our experts!
Cameo Dental Specialists, 148 N. Addison Ave, Elmhurst, IL 60126 • (630) 425-4488 • cameods.com • 11/29/2023 • Associated Words: root canal Chicago IL •