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ROOT CANAL THERAPY

At the center of the tooth is a hollow area that houses soft tissue know as pulp. The pulp chamber is connected to the tip of the root of your tooth via a thin hollow canal, thus the term, root canal. These canals run through the center of the roots like lead through a pencil. Blood vessels and nerves run through these canals. Once the pulp becomes infected, the infection can travel down the root of the tooth and affect the bone around the tooth, causing an abscess to form. Infections inside teeth don't respond to antibiotic treatment because the inflammation caused by the infection restricts the tooth's blood supply, so antibiotics in the bloodstream can't reach the infection very well. The reduced blood supply also limits the pulp's ability to heal itself.

When the pulp tissue gets infected, usually because a cavity has eroded the tooth and allowed an infection inside the tooth, the patient needs to have a procedure know as a pulpectomy which is informally referred to as “having a root canal.” The goal of root canal treatment is to save the tooth by removing the infected or damaged pulp and filling the empty canals with an inert material. If root canal treatment is not done, the tooth may have to be extracted. It is better to keep your natural teeth if at all possible. If a tooth is missing, neighboring teeth can drift out of line and can be overstressed.

Some of the indications that a tooth may need a root canal are:

A tooth that hurts significantly when you bite down on it, touch it or push on it
Sensitivity to heat
Sensitivity to cold that lasts longer than a couple of seconds
Swelling near the affected tooth
A discolored tooth, with or without pain
A broken tooth

Keeping your natural teeth also helps you to avoid more expensive and extensive treatments, such as implants or bridges. If an infected or injured tooth that needs root canal treatment is ignored, not only can you lose the tooth, but also the infection can spread to other parts of your body.

Many patients get nervous when they hear the words “root canal,” but you don’t need to be fearful. In most cases, you will not experience any pain during the root canal procedure. We will completely numb your tooth and the surrounding area. Some people fear the anesthetic injections more than the procedure itself, but numbing gels, modern injection systems and nitrous oxide sedation have made injections virtually painless. Let us know about your previous experience with dental work, and we can ensure that you are as comfortable as possible.

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