|
|
|
| Root Canals |
A "root canal" or, endodontic therapy, is a procedure available to save a tooth that is infected and would otherwise require extraction. There are many reasons that teeth can become infected including cavities, previous large fillings, crowns, cracks, fractures, trauma, and extreme wear.
Root canal therapy is needed when the nerve of a tooth is affected by decay or infection. In order to save the tooth, the pulp (the living tissue inside the tooth), nerves, bacteria, and any decay are removed and the resulting space is filled with special, medicated, dental materials, which restore the tooth to its full function.
Having a root canal done on a tooth is the treatment of choice to save a tooth that otherwise would die and have to be removed. Many patients believe that removing a tooth that has problems is the solution, but what they do not realized is that extracting (pulling) a tooth could ultimately be more costly and cause significant problems for adjacent teeth as well as loss of bone in the area where the tooth was removed.
While root canal therapy has a high degree of success, it is not 100% guaranteed. It is very important to have a permanent restoration (usually a crown) placed within 30 days of the root canal. If a permanent restoration is not placed, the tooth can further decay to the point where the root canal must be re-done or, worse, the tooth must be removed.
Reasons For Root Canal Therapy
• Decay has reached the tooth pulp (the living tissue inside the tooth)
• Infection or abscess have developed inside the tooth or at the root tip
• Injury or trauma to the tooth
• Extreme wear
What does Root Canal Therapy involve?
A root canal procedure requires one or more appointments and can be performed by your regular dentist or endodontist (a root canal specialist). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
