Skip to main content
Root Canal Therapy
Stress-Free Root Canals

Nobody looks forward to a root canal, but we'll make sure your procedure is comfortable and stress-free.

Gentle Root Canals in Gaithersburg MD
Have a Toothache and Think You Need a Root Canal?
We Can Help You!

Root Canal Therapy in Gaithersburg MD

Man with tooth and jaw painAt Lakeforest Dental Associates, we are aware of the reputation that root canals have as painful, lengthy procedures.

You will be happy to know that root canal therapy actually relieves the pain of the infection in your tooth and can also save a tooth from extraction.

At our Gaithersburg, MD dental office, we strive to always make dentistry as pain-free as possible. Both Dr. Neil Daftary and Dr. Robert Zaner take extra precautions to ensure comfortable treatment for every procedure and every appointment.

When You Need a Root Canal

Root canal therapy becomes necessary due to inflammation and infection inside the canal within your tooth. This can affect the nerve, making the symptoms quite painful. We recommend you call us right away so that we can get you feeling comfortable again.

We will diagnose the need for a root canal by taking a digital x-ray of your tooth. Often, the infection will appear as a dark area around the root of your tooth.

Other root canal symptoms include:

  • Swelling of the face or jaw
  • Discoloration of the tooth
  • A small lesion on the gums
  • Sensitivity to hot liquids or food
  • Pressure or pain when biting down or chewing

Your Root Canal Treatment

We will make sure you are completely numb before beginning treatment. Dr. Daftary or Dr. Zaner will make a small access point in your tooth to remove the infection. They will completely clear out the diseased nerve and any tissue inside the canal before filling it with a rubber-like substance and medication.

They will then seal your tooth with a temporary filling to keep out bacteria and food particles, so your tooth does not become re-infected.

We will allow your tooth to heal for a couple of weeks before rechecking it to make sure the infection is completely gone. You may feel slight sensitivity for a few days, which is normal, but you should be feeling like yourself again in a week or so.

Post-Root Canal Treatment

Tooth wearing a stethoscopeWe will follow up on your care to make sure your infection is completely healed and then recommend a permanent restoration, such as a dental crown to protect and reinforce your tooth. Teeth can become more brittle after root canal treatment, and a dental crown will absorb the force from chewing.

Why Not Just Pull the Tooth?

Saving your natural teeth is usually the best way to protect the health and appearance of your smile. Replacing a missing tooth is often more costly and involved than saving the ones you already have!

Are You Having Tooth Pain?

Contact our Gaithersburg, MD office right away! Acting fast allows us to provide you with the best treatment and the best chance to save your tooth.

Frequently Asked Questions

root canal | gaithersburg mdBoth Dr. Daftary and Dr. Zaner realize that most patients would prefer to stay in their home office for their dental needs. Going to a specialist for treatment for root canals and other procedures can be a big step into the unknown. That is why we offer most treatment right here in our Gaithersburg dental office without the need for a referral – even root canal therapy.

Your Comfort Comes First

We provide comfortable treatment, and both of our dentists have experience with root canals as well as placing a dental crown on your tooth after your treatment is complete.

When your dental treatment is completed here, we can ensure that you get the quality and continuity of care that you deserve.

Many patients associate root canal treatment with pain, but we want you to know that we will help you have a comfortable experience every time and for every treatment. Sometimes after your root canal, you will experience mild sensitivity for a few days. In most cases, this can be managed with over-the-counter pain medications. We will discuss which one will work best for you.

Dental Exams in Gaithersburg

If you are experiencing tooth pain, call us right away! Acting fast can help us save your tooth.

root canal | gaithersburg mdIf root canal therapy has been diagnosed for you, it is likely that your tooth is infected, and you might even be in pain. At this point, a root canal is necessary to preserve your tooth and eliminate your infection.

However, if you are proactive about your oral health, many root canals can actually be avoided. For example, if your dentist in Gaithersburg diagnoses tooth decay at your six-month cleaning and checkup, you can be proactive about treating the tooth as soon as possible and much more easily with a dental filling. If you delay addressing the tooth, your decay may progress further until it reaches the nerve of your tooth and causes an infection. Now, you will need root canal therapy. 

If you are noticing that your tooth is sensitive to hot or cold, this is also an excellent time to contact your dentist. This is another indicator of decay in your tooth, and your dentist can detect and treat it before it causes an infection.

See Dr. Daftary for regular preventative cleanings

The best way to avoid more complex treatment procedures like root canal therapy is to consistently visit your dentist every six months for a cleaning and checkup. Contact Lakeforest Dental Associates for more information or to schedule your next appointment. 

root canal therapy | gaithersburgIn short, no. At our Gaithersburg dental office, we use the latest rotary endodontic instruments to quickly and accurately perform root canals to relieve rather than cause pain.

Why Root Canals?

Dr. Neil Daftary and Dr. Robert Zaner have performed hundreds of root canals to save our patients’ natural teeth. Root canal therapy is needed when an infection causes inflammation and painful symptoms. Without root canal treatment, extraction is sometimes the only other option. Replacing a missing tooth is more complicated and costly than saving an existing tooth, and often means more time in the dental chair.

At Lakeforest Dental Associates, we will present all available treatment options and information to ensure that you can make the best choice for yourself. If extraction becomes necessary, plenty of smile-saving tooth-replacement options will give you full function and modern esthetic results.

If you experience the following symptoms, we welcome you to give us a call, and we will evaluate your condition to determine if a root canal is necessary.

  • Pain or a toothache
  • Pressure, especially when lying down
  • Swelling of the face, neck, jaw, or gums
  • Discolored tooth
  • A small pimple on the gums
  • Foul taste in the mouth

Dental Exams in Gaithersburg MD

For painless root canal treatment, contact our Gaithersburg dental office to arrange an emergency dental exam.

root canal therapy | gaithersburg mdEvery patient is different, and when it comes to diagnosing the need for root canal treatment in our Gaithersburg dental office, the symptoms can range widely. This is why we recommend that you schedule regular dental exams and x-rays. Often, this is the first place we detect the signs of an infection. Regular exams are a great investment in your oral health and the best way to prevent a dental emergency.

When patients present with specific symptoms, root canal treatment might be the solution.

Symptoms of Root Canals

  • Swelling in the jaw, neck, or face
  • Pain and pressure
  • Discomfort when chewing
  • Presence of a pimple on the gums
  • Discoloration of the tooth
  • Sensitivity to hot and cold

When it comes to tooth-saving root canal treatment, the sooner you seek professional care, the better chance we have of saving your tooth. Often, the only alternative to root canal therapy is to extract the infected tooth.

We use the latest rotary endodontic instruments for efficient and accurate root canal therapy. Root canals are really nothing to worry about and will relieve painful symptoms. The procedure itself should feel similar to a filling.

Root Canal Treatment in Gaithersburg

For comfortable root canals in Gaithersburg, contact Lakeforest Dental Associates to schedule an exam. We do our best to treat dental emergencies on the same day.

root canals | gaithersburg mdWhen we recommend a root canal in our Gaithersburg, MD dental office, it is often the last effort to save a severely infected or traumatized tooth. Typically, patients experience such painful symptoms when a root canal is necessary that they want an immediate resolution. Those choices typically include root canal therapy or extraction.

How Root Canals Boost Oral Health

  1. It is usually less invasive to save a natural tooth than to replace one.
  2. Saving your natural tooth is better for bone retention.
  3. Choosing to save your natural tooth is often less costly than a dental implant or bridge.
  4. A dental crown on top of a root canal tooth will restore the appearance.

Our Gaithersburg, MD dentists, Dr. Neil Daftary and Dr. Robert Zaner, will always present every treatment option available and help patients make a choice that works best for them. They also provide comfortable root canal treatment that feels similar to a standard filling, while adding many years to the life of the tooth.

Emergency Dentist in Gaithersburg

If you experience a dental emergency, give us a call right away. We treat dental emergencies as a priority and will do our best to have you feeling like yourself again fast.

Meet Our Doctors:

Dr. Neil Daftary | Gaithersburg Dentist

Dr. Neil Daftary

Dr. Neil Daftary is a 1994 graduate of Tufts University. He was on the clinical faculty of the dental school until 1999 when he moved to Maryland. He is Invisalign certified and a current member ...

Dr. Robert Zaner | Gaithersburg Dentist

Dr. Robert Zaner

Dr. Robert Zaner is a 1983 graduate of the University of Maryland. He also completed a post-graduate clinical training at Baltimore City Hospitals. Dr. Zaner is a current member of the American Dental Association and ...

Featured Blog Posts - Root Canal Therapy

January 16, 2024

Exploring Advanced Technologies in Modern Root Canal Therapy

Crown Model Shows Tooth Health

At Lakeforest Dental Associates, we realize root canals have a bad reputation, and we are working to dispel the myths associated with this straightforward dental procedure. Root canal therapy actually relieves your dental pain and saves your natural tooth, and with today’s advanced technologies, your root canal treatment will be ...

September 29, 2021

What Are the Benefits of Root Canal Treatment?

root canal treatment in Gaithersburg MD

If you have ever needed a root canal treated, you probably have vivid memories of the pain that accompanies it. In Gaithersburg, MD, we offer gentle root canal treatment as fast as possible so that you can feel like yourself again fast.

Say Goodbye to Tooth Pain and Swelling

Many people ...

December 31, 2018

New Technology May Mean Fewer Dental Visits During Root Canal Treatment

Dentist with XRay | Top Dentist in Gaithersburg

According to the Journal of Dental Research, a new approach to finding oral bacteria during root canals may mean fewer follow up appointments and enhanced root canal outcomes.

At Lakeforest Dental Associates, we always stay up to date on the latest advances in dentistry and bring these advances directly to you.

In ...

Relieve Your Pain with a Stress-Free Root Canal
Get Started Here