Rescue Your Tooth and Restore Your Oral Health with Root Canal Therapy
Nothing beats the confidence of a natural tooth when smiling or eating in terms of restorative work. Dreamtime Dentistry understands the importance of preserving your natural teeth. This is why Drs. In Vista, California, Ryan Watkins and Joel Altshul offer root canal therapy to help you maintain a healthy, functional smile.
Don’t let the pain of an infected tooth take over your life. Please schedule an appointment with our dental team to save your tooth from extraction with a root canal.

How do I know I need a root canal treatment?
Your tooth is more than the outer white covering you see. The pulp chamber contains blood vessels, nerves, and other connective tissues at the centermost part of the tooth. Faulty dental work, deep decay, and cracks can allow unwanted bacteria to infiltrate the pulp chamber, causing numerous undesirable symptoms. If antibiotics can’t reverse the infection, you need root canal therapy to repair your tooth.Â
You may need a root canal if you have these symptoms.
- Severe tooth pain
- Tooth sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures
- Tooth discoloration as blood supply is cut off
- Swollen face and gums
- A recurring pimple-like swelling on your gums
- A foul taste
A root canal saves your tooth from extraction. What does this mean for you? You don’t have to face the consequences of tooth loss, such as diminished aesthetics, confidence, and oral health. Saving your tooth also means you don’t have to replace your tooth with expensive and extensive dental implants and bridges.
What can I expect from root canal treatment?
The thought of a root canal is often met with fear and anxiety. The truth is that a root canal is just more of a complex tooth filling. We use powerful local anesthetics to minimize pain. We provide sedation dentistry to help anxious patients relax during treatment.
After you are comfortable, the dentist uses a rubber dam to protect your tooth from contamination. Then, we’ll make an access hole in your tooth, which we will use to remove the infected tissues. Once we flush out the diseased pulp chamber and other debris, we’ll clean the tooth to remove all traces of unwanted bacteria. Next, we’ll fill the hollowed tooth with a rubber-like material (gutta-percha) to seal out future infections.Â
Finally, the dentist will fill the access hole with a dental filling. However, if your tooth is severely weakened, we’ll reinforce it with a dental crown. Your root canal-treated tooth looks and functions like your natural tooth and can last a lifetime with proper care.
What should I expect after the root canal procedure?
After the root canal procedure, you may experience mild pain, soreness, and swelling. We’ll prescribe pain medications and home remedies to manage your discomfort, which will last only a few days.
Other post-op instructions include:
- Stick to soft foods for the first few days and chew on the opposite side of the mouth
- Apply a cold compress to the outside of your cheek
- Keep your head elevated
- Observe diligent oral hygiene
- Don’t delay getting the permanent restoration
- Talk to your dentist if you notice increasing pain, sensitivity, or swelling
Ready to save your tooth with a root canal?
Preserving your natural teeth has always been our goal at Dreamtime Dentistry. So, if you have an infected or damaged tooth, call (760) 274-0993 to schedule an appointment with our dental team for a painless root canal.