Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy, officially called endodontics is a procedure that treats the nerve (pulp) of the tooth. In the past, when the nerve of a tooth became infected or abscessed, the tooth had to be removed. Today, most teeth can be saved by having the diseased nerve taken out. We will make every attempt to save as many teeth for our patients as we can.

Procedure
The tooth is anesthetized and an access opening is made into the nerve.

The length of the roots are determined and the pulp, which comprises blood vessels, nerves and lymph vessels is removed. Deep decay or trauma to the tooth are reasons the pulp must be removed. If treatment is not done, pain usually results, as well as infection.

The root canals are cleaned out with special instruments and enlarged so that a special filling, gutta percha, can be placed inside the roots where the nerve used to be. This seals the tooth to help prevent re-infection.

A crown is usually placed on the tooth following a root canal procedure to prevent the tooth from fracturing.