What is a root canal?
Root canal treatment is very useful to save teeth that have been damaged from decay or fracture that otherwise would have to be extracted. Frequently, root canals are the center of dental horror stories and scary movies. We'd like to change your perception of the treatment. It is honestly, no worse than getting a filling done other than the fact that it can take 90 minutes to 2 hours. We have had many patients fall asleep during the procedure. Root canal treatment can save teeth that have extensive decay, and help a compromised tooth last for a very long time. A root canal treated tooth is often compared to a tree with no roots: it no longer has a blood supply so it gets more brittle as it ages. A crown will protect the brittle tooth from fracture, and we recommend this as a final treatment for any posterior (back) teeth due to their heavy chewing forces. Anterior (front) teeth may or may not need a crown depending on the amount of tooth structure lost due to the decay or fracture.
The procedure:
After the need for a root canal has been determined, you will be given anesthetic, just like any other dental procedure. Once the area is profoundly numb, the tooth will be opened up to expose the infected or dead nerve within the tooth. The infected and dead tissue within the center of the tooth will be removed and cleaned out. The empty space that remains will be filled with a safe, tree-based compound called gutta percha. Fun Fact: gutta percha used to be used inside of golf balls! After the root canal is sealed, we seal the top of the tooth with a filling. The filling may be a build-up filling if the tooth is needing a future crown.
