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Root Canal Defined

What is root canal treatment?

Your dentist does root canal treatment to treat problems with the tooth's delicate core (dental pulp). In the past, teeth with diseased or injured pulps were simply removed. Today, root canal treatment has given dentists a safe and effective new way of saving teeth.

What does treatment involve?

Treatment often involves one, and up to three separate visits to the dentist. While being treated, your dentist removes the diseased pulp. The pulp chamber and "root canal" of the tooth are then cleaned and sealed.

Here's how your tooth is saved through treatment:
  1. First, an opening is made through the crown of your tooth into the pulp chamber.
  2. The pulp is removed & the root canal is cleaned and shaped to a fillable form. The pulp is removed, root canals are cleaned & shaped.
  3. Medications can be put into the pulp chamber and root canal to assist in ridding germs and infection.
  4. A temporary filling is placed in the opening if the crown to protect the tooth until your next dental visit. In some cases you may be given medicine to control any infection that spread beyond the tooth. The pulp chamber and root canal are temporarily filled & sealed.
  5. The temporary filling is removed and the pulp chamber and root canals are cleaned & filled.
  6. For the final step, a porcelain or gold crown is placed over the tooth. The crown of the tooth is restored.

What is dental pulp?

The pulp is the soft tissue that contains nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue. It is found within the tooth and reaches from the crown of the tooth to the tip of the root in the bone of your jaws.

What happens if the pulp gets injured?

Should the pulp become 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 let germs (bacteria) enter the pulp. These germs cause infection inside the tooth. Left without treatment, pus collects at the root tip, in the jawbone, creating a "pus-pocket" known as an abscess. An abscess causes damage to the bone around your teeth.

Why does the pulp need to be removed?

If the infected pulp is not removed, pain and swelling will result. Certain byproducts of the infection can even injure your jaw bones. Without treatment, your tooth may have to be removed.

How long will my restored tooth last?

Your restored tooth could last a lifetime, but only if you continue to care for your teeth and gums. However, regular checkups with your dentist are also necessary. As long as the roots of a treated tooth are nourished by the tissues around it, your tooth will remain healthy.