Root Canals

Why do I need root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment can help save your damaged tooth. When the pulp (the soft tissue inside the tooth that contains nerves and blood and lymph vessels) is diseased or injured and unable to repair itself, the pulp dies. The most common cause of pulp death is a fractured tooth or a deep cavity, which can expose the pulp to the bacteria found in saliva. Bacteria can cause infection inside the tooth. If the damaged or diseased pulp is not removed, the tooth and surrounding tissues become infected.  If the problem is caught early enough your dentist can save your tooth using root canal treatment.

Deep tooth decay, fractures or injury can cause serious damage and infection to the pulps. Root canal, can also be known as endodontic treatment. This treatment  cleans out the infected pulp chamber and canals.

Some indications of the need for root canal treatment may be:

• Spontaneous pain or throbbing.
• Pain while biting or chewing.
• Pain to hot and cold.
• Severe decay or injury that causes an abscess (infection) in the bone surrounding the tooth.

Treatment Procedure

Step 1: After the tooth is anesthetized, an opening is made through the crown into the pulp chamber.

Step 2: The lengths of the roots’ canals are determined.

Step 3: Unhealthy pulp is removed. Canals are cleaned, enlarged and shaped using progressively larger endodontic files.

Step 4: Canals are filled and sealed. 

Step 5: The tooth is sealed with a temporary filling. 

Step 6: The tooth is restored with a crown or in certain cases a filling can be used.