A root canal allows an abscessed tooth to be saved. The only other alternative in this case is extraction, which should be the last resort. The late night comics all make jokes about root canals, but we find that more patients fall asleep during root canal therapy than during any other treatment.

During root canal treatment, the canal running down each root is filled right to the end, completely filling all the canal space inside the tooth. After that, there is no space left inside the tooth to harbor germs, allowing good bone to fill back into any abscessed areas at the root tip.

A tooth receiving a root canal should be restored with an onlay or crown to prevent future fracture of the tooth.

High-Tech Root Canal Therapy

The way root canal therapy is performed today is vastly different than those done a few years ago, not to mention a decade ago. The potential level for quality care has dramatically increased. It is a thing of the past to do root canals in five to six appointments, or by "touch or feel" because we could not see. Root canals can be done painlessly, faster, and more accurately due to the new technology available.

Non-surgical Root Canal Therapy

Root Canal Therapy is a dental procedure, performed with local anesthetic, which involves the removal of the nerve inside of the tooth because it has become irreversibly damaged or infected. This is usually due to the entry of bacteria into the centermost part of the tooth called the dental pulp (nerve). ROOT CANAL is a commonly used term for endodontic therapy or root canal therapy. This procedure involves the removal of the entire nerve system, as well as cleaning, shaping and 3-dimensional filling of the canal system with gutta percha and a dental sealer. The procedure enables you to keep your natural tooth, which is preferable to any type of replacement.

What Happens During Root Canal Therapy?

Step one: After the tooth is "numbed", a small opening is made into the pulp chamber. The canals are located and measured, so they can be cleansed and shaped.

Step two: The canals are filled with a rubber-like material called gutta-percha and the opening is sealed with sterile cotton pellets and a temporary filling.

Step three: The tooth is typically restored within a couple of weeks. A crown is placed over the treated tooth in order to protect it, and if the tooth lacks sufficient tooth structure to hold the core build-up, a post may be placed inside. Any areas of infection around the roots will begin to heal.

The number of visits necessary to complete a root canal will vary depending upon the degree of infection, the number of canals in the tooth, if the canals are calcified, the anatomy of your tooth, and the complexity of the procedure. We always strive to achieve the best possible result; therefore, your treatment may take one visit, or it may take more.