Root Canal Therapy

Root canals are naturally occurring in dentistry. Every single tooth in the human mouth has from one to four root canals. These canals are small passageways branching from below the top of a tooth and making it way downward vertically until reaching the tip of the root.

Often times tooth problems result from infections that affect the pulp. The pulp is an inner chamber of the tooth that contains blood vessel, nerves, and tissues of that nature. Infections that get worse can eventually affect the roots. If traumatic injury causes the pulp to get damaged then similar problems can result.

Sensitivity and pain are some good first signs of there being a problem. An inner tooth that is diseased can cause a variety of problems. Outside there will be the pain and sensitivity, but inside pockets of pus can begin to develop and cause abscesses.

There are treatments that can provide a remarkable amount of success, such as Endodontic therapy, more commonly known as root canal therapy. This involves removing any diseased tissues and stopping the infection from spreading by restoring portions of the tooth that are healthy. Prior to root canal therapy tooth extraction was the only means to combat this. However, the root canal therapy is aimed at saving the tooth with problems.

To undergo root canal therapy one typically has to go for up to three visits. The initial visit involves a small hole drilled in the top of the infected tooth and in the inner chamber. After doing this any diseased tissues are removed and the chambers are cleaned and disinfected, all the while having the tiny canals replaced. The chambers that get cleaned are also filled with elastic materials and medication that is designed in order to prevent infections from occurring. In some cases the hole is only temporarily filled up until it is permanently sealed with a crown.

With contemporary procedures most patients that undergo a root canal do not experience pain or discomfort, and can enjoy a perfectly restores tooth with the capability to last just as long as a healthy, original tooth.