If you are experiencing facial pain, pain around your ear, or even swelling in your jaw , face, or neck area, Dr. Vanover would like to see you for an exam.  Sometimes tiny canals within your tooth become infected.  This can be triggered by a variety of causes but most often an untreated cavity or untreated gum-disease is the culprit.  The infection usually causes the pulp inside your tooth to also become infected.  When an infected tooth is diagnosed or there's damage to the pulp, the Doctor will recommend a root canal.  Either Dr. Vanover or an endodontist (root canal specialist) will perform the root canal procedure to remove the infection depending on your specific situation.

You may be offered mild sedation for the procedure and Dr. Vanover will numb the affected tooth.  During the procedure he will remove all of the diseased pulp, and thoroughly clean the canal with antiseptic solution.  The canals are then filled with a flexible plastic material and a temporary filling is placed over the tooth. If there are no signs of infection over the next few weeks, a permanent filling or a crown will be placed on the tooth.  Crowns are the common choice as the root canal weakens the tooth. Recovery time is usually two to five days of soreness depending on the severity of the infection.