Root canal treatment (also referred to as root canal therapy or endodontic therapy) is made necessary when a cavity is allowed, through neglect, to reach all the way to this pulp. In some cases, deep restorations or trauma to a tooth may cause the nerve to be damaged to the point it needs root canal therapy.
Once this occurs, the pulp can become infected. This infection can even extend through the root tip and begin to eat away at the surrounding bone (this is an abscess). When the pulp becomes infected, it must be treated and cannot heal on its own. The effects of this infection can weaken the entire immune system. This is dangerous, not to mention very painful.
Symptoms that the pulp has become infected may include sensitivity to hot/cold or sweets, pain, swelling, pain to biting or pressure, and a bad taste in the mouth. Sometimes, however, no symptoms are apparent and the person is unaware of any problem until a checkup.
A root canal is performed to clean out the infected tooth pulp and disinfect the canals of the tooth. The only other treatment would be to extract the tooth. Once the infection is resolved, the canal(s) are filled in to prevent any further infection. Usually a core build-up and crown is recommended for restoring a tooth that has had root canal therapy.
Don’t wait until it hurts!
If you have a tooth that has obvious damage and you believe you need a root canal, it is important to be seen sooner rather than later before the tooth becomes infected and painful. Contact Us
