Root Canals

In the Crown Point, Merrillville, Winfield, Cedar Lake & St. John Area

Illustration of a root canal procedure on a tooth.

Root Canals

Root canal treatment, also referred to as root canal therapy or endodontic therapy, is used to save an infected or damaged tooth and avoid having it removed. A root canal becomes necessary when a neglected cavity reaches all the way to the pulp at the center of the tooth, causing the pulp to become infected. Regular cleanings and checkups detect and prevent problems early on. Trauma can also cause deep damage to the nerve of a tooth. Once this occurs, the pulp becomes infected and begins to eat away at the surrounding bone (this is called an abscess). By the time the pulp is infected it must be treated and cannot heal on its own. It can even weaken the entire immune system, making it very dangerous and painful. Symptoms of infected pulp may include sensitivity to hot/cold or sweets, pain, swelling, pain with biting or pressure, and a bad taste in the mouth. Sometimes, however, there are no symptoms, and you are unaware of any problem until a checkup. A root canal is performed to clean out the infected tooth pulp and disinfect the canals of the tooth. The only other treatment would be to extract the tooth. Once the infection is resolved, the canal(s) is filled to prevent any further infection. Crowns are usually recommended to cover and restore a tooth after root canal therapy.

Modern dental technology icon with a sleek design.

State-Of-The-Art Dental Technologies

» Learn More
Calendar icon representing appointment scheduling.

Request An Appointment

» Learn More
5 Stars Google Logo
5-Star Google Review

"From the moment you walk in you will experience kindness throughout the whole staff. The establishment is clean and they have state of the art equipment. I couldn’t give a higher recommendation. Absolutely perfect in my opinion!"

— Vastalcan
Five-star rating icon representing positive customer reviews
500+ 5-STAR REVIEWS
Learn More »
Illustration of dental implants and related dental tools.
DENTAL IMPLANTS
Learn More »
Icon representing dental emergency services.
DENTAL EMERGENCY
Learn More »

Office Hours

Monday
7:30am - 6:00pm
Tuesday
7:30am - 6:00pm
Wednesday
7:30am - 6:00pm
Thursday
7:30am - 6:00pm
Friday
7:30am - 1:00pm

Quick Links

Request an Appointment » Online Payment »
© All Rights Reserved. Polus Dental 2026