A typical Root Canal Procedure at Dr. Guyot s office Root Canal is a common dental procedure that is required to be performed when the dental pulp is infected or damaged and unable to heal. In normal circumstances, this could happen due to a tooth infection reaching the dental pulp, or the tooth suffering from a severe trauma leading to pulp damage.

If the dental pulp is mildly inflamed but not infected or damaged, Dr. Guyot will allow the time for it to heal on its own. This condition is termed a reversible pulpitis This conservative approach helps the patient to recover without any need of an invasive treatment. Symptoms that suggest an irreversible pulpitis are spontaneous pain, moderate to severe pain to hot cold or sweets that lasts more than 10 seconds, pain to bite, or a feeling that the tooth is too tall.

Sometimes it may be discovered on routine exam that a tooth has died and there may little or no symptoms. This dead tooth will cause an inflammation in the jawbone that can be seen on X-ray.

If Root Canal is determined to be the only best and minimally invasive option available under the circumstances, Dr. Guyot will advise the patient accordingly. Any concerns of the patient will be addressed fully, so that the patient feels reassured and calm about going ahead with the procedure. Root canal procedures have about a 93% success rate. In most cases the tooth can be retained for life. Some people may not wish to keep a dead tooth in their mouth. Dr. Guyot will respect this choice because extraction is always an option. There are many good options to restore missing teeth.

Dr. Guyot emphasizes on the critical importance of disinfecting the canal completely in order to decrease any chance of its re-occurrence.

Dr. Guyot will usually complete an uncomplicated case of root canal treatment within one to two hours, in a single visit of the patient. However, if the tooth has many roots, or if the site of the tooth within the mouth is more difficult to treat, it may take a longer time. In case of a severe infection, patient may need to visit again for completion of the procedure.

The environment at Dr. Guyot s office is very patient-friendly, and it is designed to put the patient at ease very quickly. Dr. Guyot believes in making sure that the patient is fully relaxed, and not suffering from excessive anxiety at the time of the procedure. If the procedure is expected to take a longer time, sufficient breaks will be provided to the patient during the process. If the patient is feeling uncomfortable at any point, he can ask for a break.

A local anesthetic is used in a typical root canal procedure, and Dr. Guyot will insert a barrier on the tooth before he starts the process. He will then proceed to clean and remove infected and dead tissue from the tooth. Using small and specialized instruments, the troublesome tooth will be thoroughly cleaned out, shaped and then disinfected. The final step is to fill the cleaned and shaped canal with an inert material. Dr. Guyot uses gutta percha and a calcium hydroxide cement.

These are very biocompatible materials. The calcium hydroxide can even promote healing of the bone near the root tip. Root canal therapy has a scary reputation in our culture. For a vast majority of cases you can expect some mild discomfort that is usually managed with a normal dose of over the counter pain medication. In some cases a prescription for an antibiotic and/or pain medication is given.

Feel free to contact Dr. Guyot at any time with any concern. Dr. Guyot s office has extensive experience in handling the cases of root canal treatment successfully for patients from Tustin, Orange County, Irvine and other areas.