Frequently Asked Questions About Adult Tooth Loss
As a family dental office, we frequently work with parents to help them navigate the transitional period when their children lose their teeth. But when an
September 15, 2026
In the past, if you had a tooth with a diseased nerve, the only solution would have been tooth extraction. Luckily, the development of the root canal procedures allows for teeth to be saved even if their roots are infected. When dental decay spreads into a tooth root (the portion of the the tooth that is beneath the gum line) the diseased section needs to be removed. If the diseased section isn’t removed it will eventually lead to an infection and potential tooth loss.
A root canal procedure works by cleaning out and filling the tooth root similarly to how cavity fillings work. Once the root canal is complete you may need a dental crown to cover the top of the tooth. Our dental offices provide tooth-saving procedures as well as tooth replacement treatments for patients throughout Chicago. With our five offices throughout the Chicago area, we help thousands of patients with their oral care. If you are ready to make an appointment give us a call.
First and foremost, your dentist will decide whether or not you need a root canal during your dental appointment. This can happen at a regular check-up and exam or when if you visit due to an issue like a toothache. Dental x-rays are frequently taken to see what is happening inside the tooth and beneath the gums and are often the reason a root canal might be suggested.
Like many dental treatments, root canal treatments begin with numbing the mouth and the treatment area. A small opening is made at the top of the tooth, A Small instrument is then sent into the tooth root to clean out the infected/decayed part of the tooth. The empty canal is then filled with a biocompatible material.
Because the root canal requires a hole to be made in the top of the tooth, you may need to get a dental crown installed on the tooth that was worked on. Dental crowns frequently require a secondary visit, as a dental crown has to be custom-made to fit your tooth. You will likely have a temporary crown placed during your first visit which will then be replaced with your new dental crown later on.
Unfortunately, dental issues don’t always present obvious symptoms. Our teeth do not always do a great job signaling to us when there are issues, and by the time they do it is likely that the issue has been there for a while and has potentially become severe. The best way to handle oral health is with regular preventative appointments. Seeing a dentist twice a year can ensure that issues are found and treated before they grow. That said, there are some symptoms that you might need a root canal. The most common symptom is a toothache. Aside from toothaches, infection can lead to your tooth cracking or to a dental abscess which is a pus-filled infection near the tooth.
Root canals have a reputation for being a painful procedure. Luckily, dental advancements are constantly being made to help decrease discomfort during and after the procedure. The numbing you receive during the treatment will ensure that you don’t feel anything during the treatment similar to having a filling or a tooth extraction. Afterwards you might feel some discomfort or sensitivity once the numbing wears off. Your dentist will likely provide post-care instructions and recommendations, but over-the-counter pain medications are often recommended to help treat discomfort.
Our team provides preventative care and restorative dental services for patients at all five of our dental offices. We work hard to ensure that patients have the tools to protect their smiles for a lifetime. At regular dental exams we help clean teeth and gums to prevent problems and provide exams that can help catch issues in their earliest stages.
We also provide treatments like root canals as well as dental treatments that can help save teeth or replace teeth if teeth fall out or need to be extracted. For more information about our treatments and procedures, timelines, and payment options, please contact our team and schedule an appointment.
Root canal treatments have an unfortunate reputation for causing pain or discomfort, which can cause anxiety for patients who are told they need a root canal for the first time. While root canal treatments are more invasive than a typical dental filling, modern dental practices help prevent any discomfort thanks to local anesthesia. The reputation root canals have for causing pain comes from root canal treatments that were done almost centuries ago. Over the years advances in dental medicine have made painful root canal treatments a thing of the past. Moreover, root canals remove the decay and infection which often leads to more pain relief than pain.
Depending on the patient and their unique dental needs a root canal treatment can typically take around an hour. However, more complex cases can take longer. That said, root canal treatments are almost always done in a single appointment. However, if you need a dental crown as part of your root canal treatment, your tooth will likely be prepared and shaped for the crown, but you will have the final crown installed at a later dental appointment. In the interim, you may have a temporary dental crown until your custom crown is designed and created by a local dental lab in your area.
Unfortunately, for us, our teeth do not do a great job of alerting us to problems until those problems have already professed quite substantially. It is very common to not know you have a cavity or that dental decay has infected your tooth’s root. That said, common symptoms that you might need a root canal can include severe localized toothaches, abscesses, and sensitivity when chewing or eating hot/cold foods. Basically, if there is a particular tooth that tends to hurt when you bite down, eat/drink hot/cold foods, or consistently have a throbbing pain associated with it, this is usually a sign that this tooth is infected.
Like any medical procedure, it is the right of the patient to decide whether or not you follow your dentist’s recommendations. If you decide to not get a root canal, or you avoid seeing a dentist even when you have symptoms, it can lead to serious dental problems. The tooth with the infected root will develop severe symptoms and eventually fall out. Moreover, the decay can spread to the gums and the surrounding teeth causing more problems. This is why it is best to seek out a dentist when you have symptoms and listen to their treatment advice.
As a family dental office, we frequently work with parents to help them navigate the transitional period when their children lose their teeth. But when an
Teaching your kids strong oral habits from an early age can help set them up for life. By incorporating simple dental practices into their daily routine,
As family dentists, we are here to help patients of all ages manage their oral health. We primarily work with families at our five locations throughout