Root Canals

Northside Family Dentistry

Root Canals In North O'Fallon, MO

Root Canals In Dardenne Prairie, MO

If you have an infected tooth or a nerve in your tooth is in pain, then you may need a root canal.

Root canals are an important procedure to save badly damaged or infected teeth. You often hear the phrase “root canal” used because the treatment involves cleaning the canals inside a tooth’s root. Back in the day, getting a root canal could be really painful, but thankfully greater advancements like anesthesia and endodontic tools have made it much more tolerable.

A root canal is a procedure where the nerve and pulp of a tooth are removed and replaced with an artificial filling. A root canal is typically performed when a tooth becomes infected or inflamed, but it can also be done as a preventive measure if your dentist sees any damage to the inside of the tooth.

Root canals are an excellent way to save your teeth. If you have an infected tooth or a nerve in your tooth is in pain, then you may need a root canal. Root canals are performed by a dentist to remove the pulp of the tooth, which contains blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue. It is often necessary if infection or swelling of the nerve occurs.

Root canals are performed when the nerve in your tooth is in pain. The dentist will start by numbing your tooth. They then drill into the root of the infected tooth, disinfect it and fill it with a filling material or crown. If you have an infected or hurting nerve in your tooth, then you may need a root canal.

This procedure is often used to save the tooth and alleviate the pain. An endodontist will carefully remove all of the infected nerves and tissue from the root canals of your teeth and replace them with a filling (usually gutta-percha). The final step of this process is to seal off the area.

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Northside Family Dentistry

How Root Canals Work

Teeth are different from other parts of the body because there is limited blood supply to the center of each tooth. Therefore, if infected, the center of a tooth cannot benefit from the cells in the blood that cause healing, and the infection inside the tooth will persist.

The only way to remove the infection is by accessing the center of the tooth and its roots and thoroughly cleaning them out. This is called a root canal treatment. 

Once the center of the tooth and roots are cleaned from top to bottom, these areas are then filled with filling material. This procedure removes the infection and allows for proper healing of the tooth. 

It is often preferred to save a tooth if possible instead of removing it, because there is nothing that feels more natural than your own teeth. 

Since the root canal is at the center of the tooth, it can be difficult to know whether you need a root canal or not. Luckily, there are dental professionals who specialize in extracting this type of tooth infection. Please contact us about whether or not you should get a root canal treatment.

We use very modern techniques that ensure a faster and better quality root canal treatment.  Also, just like all procedures we provide, we will make sure you have a good experience!

What Our Patients Are Saying

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Based on 226 reviews
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Kevin Albaladejo
8 September 2026
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Love this location, Jessica was awesome! Great service all around
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Tiffany Northcutt
27 August 2026
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Kind and courteous staff! First visit and I already am glad I chose Northside.
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Jerry Huff profile picture
Jerry Huff
27 August 2026
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Everyone is a complete pleasure to be around. They explain all that they are doing and make sure you are comfortable. I came to them with a mouth full of problems and I’m feeling much better about my teeth. It’s taken some time to get where we are at. But it took time for me to get my teeth where they were. The only thing I wish I had been better at my cleaning. They can’t fix stupid
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Chris G
26 August 2026
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Got me in fast for a chipped tooth with some pain. Took care of the issue!
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Kevin Walker
26 August 2026
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Very Friendly staff. They make you feel right at home.
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Justin McDermott
26 August 2026
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Always great service!
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Anna Hough
25 August 2026
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Amazingly friendly staff and a welcoming environment! Great experience, thank you!
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Trever Stears
20 August 2026
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Friendly easy to talk to they seem like they actually care great experience this will be my dentist office until all my teeth fall out lol
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Marva Phillips
20 August 2026
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This dental practice is exceptional. All staff very professional knowledgeable and pleasant.
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Tracy Howland
20 August 2026
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Our family switched over to North Family Dentistry over a year ago. My whole family, husband down to our 7 year old daughter, are patients here and have had a great experience. It feels like a small town family dentistry. We have our twice a year cleaning, I take my son for extra cleanings every couple of months due to some sensory issues with brushing ( he also is a talker when he is nervous) they are fantastically patient and kind. I’ve also had professional whitening with them and the experience was made clear and I had great results. Front staff are wonderful and feel like a friendly exchange instead of a drs office. I refused fluoride a few times and now they always go out of their way to ask.
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Kimmi Covert
19 August 2026
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The staff here are great.
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Wanda Whitelaw
18 August 2026
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Staff, hygienist and dentist were all very professional.
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Madeline Sosah4hhejrh3hh3
18 August 2026
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I've had such a great experience! I highly recommend them for any dental work. On top of, all the staff being AMAZING!
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Joe Dilallo
6 August 2026
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Although the dentist is not pleasant, this dentist did the job fast and efficiently. And made me feel comfortable as I can
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Mark A. Roark, Sr.
4 August 2026
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Very professional and accommodating. Best dentist and staff I have ever had. All are very nice people. Their whole place is nicely decorated as well.
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Tracey Morefield
4 August 2026
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Excellent and honest service!
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Paul Fowlie
28 July 2026
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This has been the first dentist I have been comfortable with in a long time. Everyone I have had so far has been amazing.
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Sharon Kullman
27 July 2026
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Very good experience for my first dental repair. Very nice and professional staff. Would definitely recommend my new dentist office.
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Josie & Phil Plotts
27 July 2026
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Northside has a comforting atmosphere, great staff, and Dr Hough goes the extra mile to give you the best care.
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Joe Bacon
22 July 2026
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Always great service and care whenever I'm at NFD.
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Kate Sherer
22 July 2026
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Always friendly, professional and clean. Love this place!
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Cindy Alvarez
21 July 2026
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Great first time experience!! From reception to Dr to staff , very pleased!! Everything went great 😁👍
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Cody Weber
20 July 2026
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Best dentist we've ever been too, my kids love and I love it too!! The staff is always super helpful and sweet, just simply the best!!