ENDODONTICS

Endodontic treatment or more correctly Root canal is the treatment to repair and save a badly damaged or infected tooth instead of removing it and having to replace it with an implant, bridge or removable partial denture. The term “root canal” comes from the cleaning of the canals inside a tooth’s root. With the latest dental procedures and local anesthetics most people have little to no pain with a root canal. Root canal helps you keep your natural teeth and smile.

It usually takes one to three visits to complete a root canal depending on the extent of the damage and infection of the tooth. Your dentist will remove all the diseased pulp (nerve) from the tooth chamber and root canals clean and disinfect the area and dry it. Root canals will be enlarged and reshaped to allow better access for the obturation (root filling) later. During the procedure the dentist will take small intraoral Xrays. After the root canal is completed and the tooth is restored, it is always recommended that the tooth is protected from a future fracture with a crown. That is because the root canal treated tooth typically has a large filling or is weakened from extensive decay and it is more fragile because it is no longer nourished from its pulp but only from the surrounding tissues.