Root Canal

Despite what you may have heard or read root canals are not intended to cause severe pain. Instead, the goal of the procedure is to save a tooth that is severely infected. In fact, it is often a straightforward procedure to save a tooth that is severely infected and to get you out of pain.

When do you need a root canal?

When there is inflammation or infection in the pulp/roots of a tooth. The pulp (center part of the tooth) inside the tooth becomes infected from a number of causes such as a chip, crack in the tooth, untreated decay or because of an injury. If an infected tooth is left untreated for a long period of time the tooth may be unsalvageable and may need to be extracted.

What happens when you have a root canal?

During root canal therapy procedure the dentist removes the pulp inside using different file sizes to carefully remove the pulp inside the tooth, they then clean and disinfected the roots of the tooth and place a false nerve inside of each root to seal the space. On top, they place a filling to cover the opening.

Why do they recommend crowns after a root canal?

Once the root canal is completed and you are pain=free, a crown is usually recommended. The tooth becomes brittle from the lack of blood supply. The blood supply that was once provided by the pulp of the tooth has been removed and placed with a false nerve. This making the chance of the tooth breaking higher. With a crown, the tooth is covered on the top portion of the tooth that is above the gums giving it strength and protection from breaking.