No one wants to talk about these procedures but they are a fact of life and when you need one, you need one. Both of these procedures are common in our practice. When a tooth is too broken down and the only option is removing the tooth, we can take care of it for you. Nitrous oxide, profound anesthesia, and something to watch on television help the procedure go by. We also extract many wisdom teeth when the need arises. Root canals are performed when the inside of the tooth becomes sick or infected. We simply remove the affected tissue, disinfect the inside of the tooth, and fill the canals. The tooth will pretty much feel the same as it did before. Although the tooth is no longer vital on the inside, the outside of the tooth is still alive and well. In our opinion root canals get a bad rap. Were not saying that it is something to look forward to, but most patients really do well. We think the worst part is the time in the chair and the added expense.