Root Canal

A root canal is one of the most common dental procedures preformed and can save your natural teeth and prevent the need of dental implants and bridges. A root canal is the process of removing inflamed or necrotic remnants of tissues including blood vessels and the nerves from the roots of a tooth.  At the center of each tooth is pulp, a collection of blood vessels that helps to build the surrounding tooth. Infection of the pulp can be caused by trauma to the tooth, deep decay, cracks and chips and a root canal is often necessary to save the infected tooth.  If an infected tooth is left alone for a long period of time, an abscess can form.  An abscess will show up on an x-ray as a dark spot below the apex of the root.  This is actually bone loss in the jaw.  It is very important to catch this problem before it deteriorates too far.

Procedure

The first step of the procedure is to anesthetize the effected area.  The next step is to open an access point through the top, or biting surface of the tooth.  The infected pulp is carefully removed and the root canal system is thoroughly cleaned.  Once each canal is prepared, it is filled with an inert material called gutta percha and then sealed. The extent of the infection and the complexity of the procedure will dictate the time and number of visits.  One visit is always most desired yet two is not unusual.

The cost associated with this procedure can vary depending on factors such as the severity of damage to the affected tooth and which tooth is affected. In general, root canal treatment is much less expensive than tooth removal and replacement with an artificial tooth.