Root Canal

What is root canal treatment?Root canal therapy refers to the treatment of the inner aspects of a tooth, specifically that area inside a tooth originally occupied by the tooth's nerve. Root canal therapy is used to find the cause of the tooth's soft core (the dental pulp).

Years ago, teeth with diseased or injured pulps were removed. Today, root canal treatment has given dentists a safe way of saving teeth.

Here's how your tooth is saved through treatment:

1. First, an opening is made through the crown of the tooth.

2. An opening is made through the crown of the tooth into the pulp chamber.

3. The pulp is then removed. The root canal(s) is cleaned and shaped to a form that can be filled.

4. The pulp is removed, and the root canals are cleaned, enlarged and shaped.

5. Medications may be put in the pulp chamber and root canal(s) to help get rid of germs and prevent infection.

6. A temporary filling will be placed in the crown opening to protect the tooth between dental visits. Your dentist may leave the tooth open for a few days to drain. You might also be given medicine to help control infection that may have spread beyond the tooth.

7. The pulp chamber and root canals are filled and sealed.

8. The temporary filling is removed and the pulp chamber and root canal(s) are cleaned and filled.

9. In the final step, a gold or porcelain crown is usually placed over the tooth.

10. The crown of the tooth is then restored

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