Root Canals

Preserving Natural Teeth

Very few things are as durable as a natural tooth. However, extensive decay, an accident, fracture, or gum disease can lead to a tooth infection that can threaten to destroy a healthy tooth. When a tooth’s nerve chamber becomes infected, a root canal treatment is often the only way to save the tooth.

Indications can include pain, prolonged sensitivity to heat or cold, discoloration of the tooth, and swelling or tenderness in the nearby gums. Thanks to advances in dental techniques and pain mitigation, most patients nowadays find that having a root canal treatment is as unremarkable as having a cavity filled.

Tooth Anatomy

A tooth is made up of three primary structures:
 

• Enamel: The extremely hard outer covering.
• Dentin: The underlying layer
• Pulp: Soft tissue containing the blood supply and nerve, which is housed in the hollow root canal space. The pulp partially nourishes the root from the inside.

Infection of the Pulp

In most other parts of the body, when tissue becomes diseased, the body merely throws it off and forms new tissue. However, teeth are a unique structure. Because the soft tissue within the tooth is totally encased within a very hard material, the body cannot get to it in order to effect a repair.

Treatment by a Dentist

A skilled dentist is trained to do what the body is unable to do. Various procedures and technologies are used to access and remove the soft tissue located in the internal spaces (canals). The dentist removes the inflamed or infected pulp, carefully cleans and shapes the inside of the canal areas, then fills and seals the canal space.

When large amounts of tooth structure are missing or compromised due to disease, it may be necessary for the dentist to place a “post” down into the canal space to act as an anchor for a crown (or “cap”) that will be placed on the tooth to fully restore it. Although patients can be in a great deal of pain before seeing the dentist, measures are taken to assure that pain is quickly and fully relieved during the procedure.

Myth: “Root Canals Cause Dead Teeth”

When a root canal procedure is done properly, the tooth does not die. It can receive adequate support from surrounding tissues and will usually last as long as any other tooth. No replacement is as good as a person’s own natural tooth, and a successful root canal can allow a patient to keep his/her own teeth, free from infection.

Post-Operative Care After Root Canal Treatment

For the first few days, the treated tooth may feel sensitive. This is especially true if there was pain or infection before the procedure. Post-operative discomfort is effectively relieved with medication.
You should not chew or bite on the treated tooth until it has been fully restored (usually with a crown) by the dentist, because it could fracture. Restorations should be completed on a timely basis because a root canal procedure can fail and the tooth can be lost if all treatments are not promptly and fully completed.