Root Canal and Endodontic Care in Downtown Vancouver
Endodontics treats the soft pulp inside a tooth. When the pulp becomes infected or injured, timely root canal treatment can help relieve discomfort, address the infection and preserve your natural tooth whenever possible.
Root Canal Treatment
Root canals have an unfair reputation. In reality, the procedure relieves pain rather than causing it. When the soft pulp inside a tooth becomes infected or inflamed, from deep decay, a crack or an old injury, the pressure can be intense. During treatment at our downtown Vancouver clinic, your dentist numbs the area, removes the damaged pulp, cleans and disinfects the canals, then fills and seals them. With appropriate local anaesthesia, root canal treatment is generally well tolerated, and our team takes steps to keep you comfortable throughout the procedure. Afterward, back teeth usually need a crown to protect them. Saving your natural tooth this way is often simpler and more affordable over time than extraction and replacement.
Signs you may need a root canal:
- Pain that lingers after hot or cold food
- A throbbing toothache, especially at night
- A pimple-like bump on the gum
- Pain when biting, or a tooth that has turned grey
Dental Trauma
A puck to the mouth during a weekend hockey game. A fall from a bike on the seawall. A child's tumble at the playground. Dental trauma happens fast, and the damage is not always visible right away. A tooth that looks fine may have an injured nerve inside that slowly dies, causing discolouration, pain or infection weeks or months later. That is why prompt assessment matters. Our downtown Vancouver dentists check the tooth, gums and jaw, take X-rays, stabilize loosened teeth and treat the pulp if needed. We then schedule follow-up visits with vitality tests to confirm the nerve is recovering. Some injured teeth heal on their own; others need root canal therapy to be saved.
Pulpotomy / Pulp Therapy for Children
Hearing that your child needs pulp therapy can be worrying, but it is a routine, gentle procedure. A pulpotomy is sometimes called a baby root canal. When decay reaches the pulp of a baby tooth, a pulpotomy may be recommended. The dentist removes the affected pulp tissue from the crown of the tooth, places an appropriate protective material and restores the tooth to help maintain its function until the permanent tooth is ready. Why save a baby tooth that will fall out anyway? Because it holds space for the adult tooth, helps your child chew and speak properly, and prevents infection from spreading. Visits are short, and we take time to keep young patients relaxed. Our downtown Vancouver team will walk you through every step beforehand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Keeping your natural tooth is usually best for chewing, bite stability and cost over time. Extraction followed by an implant or bridge is an option when a tooth cannot be saved.
Many root canal treatments can be completed in one or two appointments. The length of each visit depends on the tooth being treated, the number of canals and the complexity of the procedure.
Back teeth usually do, because they become more brittle once the pulp is removed. Front teeth can sometimes be restored with a filling alone.
What We Treat
Complete Dental Care Under One Roof
From routine cleanings to dental implants and cosmetic treatments, Howe Dental provides a wide range of dental services in one convenient downtown Vancouver location. Specialist referrals can be arranged when needed.
If you are looking for a reliable dentist in Vancouver, our team of dentists is here to help.
Schedule your visit and take the next step toward better oral health.