Paulo Cortes, DMD
Dentist located in Mira Mesa, San Diego, CA
Root Canals Specialist
At San Diego Smile Center, Dr. Paulo Cortes and his staff serve many area communities near Mira Mesa in the San Diego – Dental Implants san diego. They offer a variety of services including the use of root canals to help prevent tooth loss. By performing a root canal, Dr. Cortes can often save a tooth that would have otherwise been lost due to infection.
Root Canals Q & A
Why are Root Canals Performed?
Root canals are performed to get rid of an infection that has made its way inside the tooth. This type of infection can be extremely painful and can eventually cause the loss of the tooth if it isn’t properly treated in a timely fashion. When you visit Dr. Cortes, he uses an X-ray or other diagnostic tools to determine the exact location of the infection and then takes steps to eliminate it.
The only way to eliminate this type of infection is to remove it from the interior of the tooth. Dr. Cortes removes the nerve and surrounding pulp from inside the tooth and replaces it with a composite material that stabilizes the tooth from the inside. He then places a temporary crown over the top of the tooth to seal it and protect it from further decay.
What Causes a Root Canal to Fail?
Root canals often fail because small pockets of infection are missed. Along the nerve, many small channels travel deep into the tissue. If the infection becomes trapped, a dentist may not be able to locate it all without removing extensive amounts of pulp tissue.
If a root canal fails, Dr. Cortes removes the temporary crown from the tooth. He re-enters the tooth and attempts to locate the rest of the infection. Once he’s finished, he replaces the crown and allows the tooth to heal. Once he has completely removed the infection, your symptoms begin disappearing over a period of three or four days.
Why are Temporary Crowns Used?
A crown — typically made of a composite or resin material and are easily replaced — is meant to be permanently attached to a tooth. Dr. Cortes puts a temporary crown in place after a root canal so he can easily remove it if the infection wasn’t eliminated with the first procedure.
Once Dr. Cortes determines that the infection is gone and the tooth has fully healed, he removes the temporary crown and replaces it with a permanent one made out of dental porcelain.
The permanent crown is designed to be as permanent as possible. Some may last as long as ten years or longer without experiencing any damage.
SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT
Our San Diego clinic offers comprehensive solutions for all of your dental needs.
Accepted Insurance Providers
At San Diego Smile Center, our professional dentist in mira mesa is dedicated to our patient’s dental health with affordable payment plans. As a dental practice, we accept a wide variety of insurance providers to ensure that all our patients are covered. Our friendly staff will be able to assist you if your insurance isn’t listed or you have questions.
What We Offer
Dental Services
Testimonials
Contact Paulo Cortes, DMD
Contact Dental Implant San Diego or visit us at the location mentioned below.
10737 Camino Ruiz #120
San Diego, California 92126