Root Canal Therapy

Root Canal Therapy may be recommended for a tooth that may be damaged by deep decay, a large filling, fracture or trauma due to a direct physical blow or heavy bite. Regardless of the initial cause, the nerve of the tooth becomes infected or abscessed, causing pressure and pain. In some teeth, deterioration and death of the pulp happens gradually, so little discomfort is felt. In either case, root canal therapy is required to remove the infected nerve tissue, relieve pain and ultimately save the tooth.

Root canal therapy usually requires multiple visits. Initially, it is important to remove the decay or old filling and access the nerve chamber to clean out the infected pulp tissue. Medicine is placed in the tooth, and it is temporarily sealed for immediate pain relief. Antibiotics are prescribed to help control the infection. Once the tooth is free of infection, special instruments are used to remove all of the nerve tissue and to properly clean and shape the canals. The canals are then sealed to prevent bacteria from reentering the tooth. In this way, root canal therapy is completed with minimal discomfort to the patient.

A tooth that has undergone root canal therapy becomes brittle over time. Therefore, a crown is recommended to protect the tooth from further fracture. At this office, we take every step possible to avoid extraction of a tooth, and root canal therapy is an excellent option to relieve pain and infection and save your natural tooth.