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ROOT
CANALS
Once
upon a time, if you had a tooth with a diseased nerve,
you'd probably lose that tooth. Today, with a special
dental procedure called a root canal therapy you may
save that tooth. Inside each tooth is the pulp which
provides nutrients and nerves to the tooth, it runs
like a thread down through the root. When the pulp is
diseased or injured, the pulp tissue dies. If you don't
remove it, your tooth gets infected and you could lose
it. After the dentist removes the pulp, the root canal
is cleaned and sealed off to protect it. Then your dentist
places a crown over the tooth to help make it stronger.
Most of the time, a root canal is a relatively simple
procedure with little or no discomfort involving one
to three visits. Best of all, it can save your tooth
and your smile! Your dentist uses root canal treatment
to find the cause and then treat problems 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.
An
abscessed (infected) can be caused by tooth decay.
When the pulp is diseased or injured and can't repair
itself, it dies. The most common cause of pulp death
is a cracked tooth or a deep cavity. Both of these
problems can let germs (bacteria) enter the pulp.
Germs can cause an infection inside the tooth. Left
without treatment, pus builds up at the root tip,
in the jawbone, forming a "pus-pocket" called
an abscess. An abscess can cause damage to the bone
around the teeth.
Treatment
often involves from one to three visits. During treatment,
your general dentist or endodontist (a dentist who
specializes in problems of the pulp) removes the diseased
pulp. The pulp chamber and root canal(s) of the tooth
are then cleaned and sealed.
Here's how your tooth is saved through treatment:
1.
An opening is made through the crown of the tooth into
the pulp chamber.
The pulp is then removed. The root canal(s) is cleaned
and shaped to a form that can be filled.
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Medications
may be put in the pulp chamber and root canal(s) to
help get rid of germs and prevent infection. 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.
2. On the next visit the temporary filling is removed
and the pulp chamber and root canal(s) are cleaned
and the pulp chamber and root canals are filled and
sealed.
3.
In the final step, a gold or porcelain crown is usually
placed over the tooth.
If
an endodontist performs the treatment, he or she will
recommend that you return to your family dentist for
this final step. The crown of the tooth is then restored.
