Root Canal Therapy
Get gentle root canal therapy at every Enamel Dentistry studio in Texas
Protect And Repair Infected Teeth
When a cavity is left too long, or a tooth has experienced trauma, oral bacteria can infect the nerve, which can be painful. If left untreated and a root canal doesn't remove infection, this may eventually result in tooth loss. While a root canal sounds scary, it's a relatively simple and painless procedure with local anesthesia. Or you can opt for sedation if that makes you more comfortable.
Preserve Your Natural Tooth With A Root Canal
Signs And Symptoms
An infected tooth can lead to throbbing toothaches, sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures, and pain when chewing.
Relieve The Pain
Root canals are less painful than an inflamed tooth. Once the damaged pulp is removed, the source of pain is eliminated.
Stop Infection Spread
If the infection spreads it could result in an abscess, damage to the surrounding bone, and systemic complications.
Cost-Effective
A root canal can be more cost-effective than extracting and replacing the tooth with a bridge or implant.
Come In And See Us
We'll Have You Grinning From The Chin Up
We're changing the way patients experience the dentist. Our primary concern is your oral health and making sure you feel comfortable coming to see us. We know it can be scary visiting the dentist. But our philosophy of providing an easy and fun experience combined with our use of advanced AI tools, we know you'll feel different about coming to see us.
We offer:
AI Technology That Doesn't Miss A Thing
We've invested in top-of-the-line tools and the latest technology to improve efficiency and patient care. No more goopy impressions! From AI and 3D printers to iTero for digital and diagnostic impressions, we're equipped with proven equipment to ensure that every procedure is comfortable, convenient and ensures an accurate fit. Combining technology and innovations with our highly professional and knowledgeable dental team enables us to deliver the best treatment outcomes consistently.
Don't Let Finances Come Between You And A Beautiful Healthy Smile
We understand the frustration of needing dental care while feeling it may not be affordable. You shouldn't have to worry about paying for your oral health. That's why we have several options to help you easily finance your dental treatment.
Enamel Dentistry Patients Are The Best
The More You Know,
The Better Your Oral Health Will Be
How Do Cavities Form?
Cavities (also called tooth decay or caries) are permanently damaged areas on the surface of your teeth that eventually turn into holes. They’re one of the most common dental health issues in the world, and anyone who has teeth can get them—even very young children and infants. If cavities get large enough that they’re affecting the deeper layers of your teeth, they can cause infections, severe toothaches, and even tooth loss.
Regular brushing, flossing, and trips to the dentist are the best ways to prevent cavities from forming—but how do they form in the first place?
The Three Stages of Cavities
Cavities don’t just develop overnight; there’s a process that happens, and it begins with plaque.
Have you ever noticed a stick film coating your teeth, especially after eating sugary or starchy foods? This is dental plaque. Every time you eat, the bacteria in your mouth feed on the leftover food particles. Then, they secrete acids that turn into plaque. As plaque accumulates in your mouth, it traps acid, sugars, and bacteria up against your teeth; in turn, these start to erode away at the enamel and demineralize it.
After a while, small holes will start to develop in the enamel. This is the first stage of a cavity. Once the enamel is worn away, it makes it easy for bacteria and acid to reach the dentin, which is the next layer in your teeth. Unfortunately, dentin is much softer than enamel, and it doesn’t resist acid as well. At this stage, you may notice some sensitivity. As the cavity gets worse, the bacteria and acid continue to travel down to the next layer: the pulp.
The pulp is the inner part of your tooth that houses the nerves and blood vessels. As the bacteria and acids start to attack the pulp, it becomes inflamed and irritated. Since the pulp is trapped inside the tooth, it has nowhere to expand as it swells; this causes it to compress the tooth’s nerves—which can be very painful. If left untreated, deep cavities can lead to severe infections or tooth loss.
Factors that Can Increase the Risk of Cavities
There are several factors that can make your teeth more prone to cavities:
- Location. Cavities are more likely to affect the molars and premolars. This is because these teeth are harder to reach, and they have a lot of nooks and crannies to trap plaque.
- Certain foods and beverages cling to your teeth for longer, like dairy products, honey, cookies, hard candy, chips, and soda.
- Eating or drinking frequently gives the bacteria in your mouth a steady supply of food.
- Waiting too long to brush and floss after eating allows plaque to form and start attacking your teeth.
- Dry mouth caused by medications, medical treatments, or certain health conditions can increase the risk of cavities.
- Chronic heartburn (GERD) can cause stomach acid to wear away at your enamel
The thing to keep in mind with cavities is that they aren’t static—they grow and get bigger over time. If you don’t have any cavities yet, that’s great news! Make sure to keep up with your oral hygiene and dentist visits. If you do have cavities, it’s best to take care of them as early as possible to prevent them from getting worse. Schedule an appointment with Enamel Dentistry, and we’ll help you nip those cavities in the bud!
Sedation Pre-Op Instructions
Pre and Post-Op Moderate Sedation Instructions
- A responsible adult, over the age of 18, must accompany the patient to the clinic and wait on site until procedure has been completed. Following sedation, a responsible adult must escort the patient home and remain with the patient for the next several hours.
- A parent or legal guardian must accompany minors (persons under the age of 18).
- No food or liquids for 8 hours before the start of the procedure. If food/liquids are consumed within this time frame, please call the office immediately
- Stay well hydrated the day before the scheduled procedure.
- Take all medications as normal with a small sip of water unless specifically directed otherwise by Dr. Dillon Patel
- >For patients diagnosed with diabetes or taking blood thinners (i.e. Plavix, Warfarin, Coumadin, Xarelto), please contact the office for instructions
- >For patients diagnosed with asthma, please bring your rescue inhaler with you
- Wear loose, comfortable, older clothing that allows access to both arms and that is not restrictive to your neck (some medications or materials may permanently stain clothing)
- Please inform your Enamel provider and have a list available of any medical conditions, medications, or any previous/upcoming surgeries before the scheduled procedure date
- If you have had any sickness involving the upper respiratory system within the past 2weeks (severe sinus conditions, severe cold, bronchitis, flu, COVID-19 etc.), please inform the clinic as your procedure may need to be rescheduled to a later date for your safety.
- Following sedation, patients should refrain from driving an automobile, drinking alcohol or engaging in any activity that requires alertness until at least the next day. This timeframe may vary from patient to patient.
For any questions, concerns, or problems prior to or following sedation, please contact: Your Enamel Doctor
Over the Counter Vs. Professional Teeth Whitening: Which Is Better?
Stroll through any drug store, and you’ll find numerous over-the-counter (OTC) teeth whitening products. How do these differ from what’s used at the dentist’s office—and which is better? Isn’t it just easier to whiten your teeth at home?
The Main Difference Between OTC and Professional Teeth Whitening
There are many types of OTC teeth whitening products available, including strips, gels, toothpaste, and bleach kits. While some of these products are pretty good, they all have a much lower concentration of the whitening agent than what’s used at the dentist’s office. You’ll also be applying it to your teeth over a shorter period of time. Essentially, you’ll see less of a change in the appearance of your smile, and it will take much longer.
At Enamel Dentistry, we use a higher-concentrated bleaching gel, which allows us to whiten your teeth by 5-10 shades in a single office visit. It’s much more effective than OTC whiteners! OTC bleaching gels can cause sensitivity and discomfort; we use custom trays and monitor you the entire time to make sure you have a comfortable experience throughout the entire process.
In addition, some OTC whitening products contain charcoal or other substances that can damage your enamel!
What About Convenience?
OTC whiteners are certainly convenient—you just need to grab one off the shelf and use it at home. Believe it or not, professional teeth cleaning can be just as convenient! At Enamel Dentistry, you don’t have to sit in the dentist’s chair to get a whiter, brighter smile. Although that’s certainly an option, we also offer custom take-home whitening kits. While still more effective than OTC products, they’re designed to give you gentler, more gradual treatment than what you’d get with our in-office whitening. This is perfect for patients who’d like a more natural whitening process or don’t have the time for in-office appointments.
Want to learn more about our professional teeth whitening or schedule an appointment? Contact your closest Enamel Dentistry location today!
Tooth troubles? Here are some common FAQ's
In most cases, the answer is no. Gum health issues like gingivitis are very rare in toddlers. If your toddler’s gums are swollen and tender, this is likely due to the natural teething process. As the teeth begin to move beneath the surface of the gums, the gums may look swollen or red, and seem inflamed. Your toddler may also be cranky or complain of pain in their mouth if they’re old enough to do so. However, this is completely normal. As their tooth erupts, their gums will stop swelling and will become less inflamed. Once the tooth has fully erupted, you will no longer notice any serious inflammation or swelling around the area.
If your gums start bleeding while you’re flossing, should you keep flossing? Absolutely! Bleeding while flossing is often a sign that you need to be flossing your gums more thoroughly or frequently—not that they should be left alone. It might sound counterintuitive, but the more you floss, the less your gums will bleed, unless the bleeding is related to physical damage to your gum tissue or a systemic issue. Many patients will stop flossing an area that bleeds, but the best thing to do is to give that area more attention!
Just about all kinds of toothpaste contain some sort of mild abrasive, as this helps remove plaque and polish your teeth. However, whitening toothpastes usually have a higher level of abrasive particles. Baking soda is often used, as is silica, dicalcium phosphate, and a number of other abrasives. These abrasives are usually formulated specifically to be softer than your enamel. This ensures that they do not wear down your teeth, but they can still be used to buff away surface stains caused by plaque buildup, and keep your teeth looking bright and beautiful.
If you have a persistent or severe toothache, this may indicate that you have an infected tooth. If this is the case, it’s critical to come in for an emergency appointment to get a root canal and restore your tooth. Enamel Dentistry offers emergency care and expert root canal therapy, and we want to make sure that our patients are informed about the signs and symptoms of infected teeth. Here are a few things to keep in mind about emergency dental care and root canal therapy in Austin: