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Root Canal Therapy

If you have been told a root canal is necessary to save one of your teeth, it is important you understand why this procedure is necessary and what happens during root canal treatment.

Root Canal Treatment creates disorders of the nerve (also called the pulp) of the tooth. It used to be that a tooth was diseased or infected nerve had to be removed. In 95 percent of the cases today, however, this is no longer true. We believe in saving teeth (instead of removing them). We make every effort to help you keep your natural teeth for a lifetime!

The following are the most common factors contributing to a need for root canal treatment:

• Trauma- such as a physical blow to a tooth or a constant striking of a tooth in the opposite jaw that traumatizes the tooth
• Physical irritation- caused by a deep decay or a very large filling
• Severe gum disease

Regardless of the initial cause, the tooth pulp becomes irritated and infected. Bacteria grow within the tooth pulp, causing pressure and pain, sometimes accompanied by swelling of the face. Sometimes the deterioration of the pulp happens so gradually that little pain is felt. Either way, eventually the bacteria can destroy the pulp. As this happens, the bone surrounding the tooth may becomes infected and abscessed, which may lead to the destruction of the bone surrounding the tooth.