Root Canal Therapy - Endodontics

Endodontics: Protect and keep a sick or dying tooth.

The Problem:

• Infected or sick tooth due to decay or injury
• Chronic tooth pain from contact with hot and cold liquids
• Pain from pressure or biting down
• Danger of infection spreading

Root Canal Therapy Is The Solution:

Inside each tooth is a pulp chamber that contains the nerves and blood supply for the tooth. When the pulp becomes infected due to decay or injury to the tooth, the pulp must be removed from the center of the tooth and the canals of each root. Once the infected pulp is removed, the remaining chamber is filled with a rubber-based material to seal it off.

All teeth that have had root canal therapy must be protected with a tooth-like artificial covering known as a crown (see crown section). This is because teeth that have had the pulp removed are more susceptible to fracture.

Advantages of Root Canal Therapy:

Root canal therapy is an excellent way to save a tooth that would otherwise die and need to be removed.

Disadvantages of Root Canal Therapy:

If a tooth is sick, there are no disadvantages to root canal therapy. On rare occasions, however, root canal therapy may fail to prevent a tooth infection from recurring, and therefore may need to be redone to ensure that all of the infection has been removed, or the tooth may need to be removed.

Alternatives to Root Canal Therapy:

The only real alternative is to remove the sick tooth. However, this will require a dental implant, partial denture, or bridge to fill the empty space and prevent the shifting of surrounding teeth. These solutions will ultimately cost more than the root canal therapy, and they may never equal the quality of keeping your natural tooth.

 

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