Endodontic (Root Canal) therapy treats the irreversibly damaged nerve and blood vessels of the tooth. This treatment returns the tooth to a comfortable functioning state and facilitates its preservation.
Untreated decay, a cracked or traumatized tooth and a large filling that has irritated the nerve can all cause the nerves and blood vessels inside the tooth to die. This allows bacteria to gain access into the pulp chamber, causing an infection inside the tooth. The infection can pass through the canals into the bone causing an abscess. Instead of extracting the tooth, a root canal is performed in order to remove the infection.
Root canal therapy usually requires a series of appointments:
Endodontic therapy is probably one of the most misunderstood procedures performed in the dental office. The name is often associated with pain and is the source of many dental “jokes”. In fact exactly the opposite is true. An abscessed tooth is probably one of the more painful dental emergencies treated, and the pain is alleviated by root canal therapy.