Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment is necessary when the nerve and living tissue in the tooth is dying or dead. There are generally two reasons that this happens. The first is due to an infection. An untreated cavity is a common cause of pulp infection. The decay penetrates through the enamel and dentin of the tooth until it reaches the pulpal tissue, which allows bacteria to infect the pulp. The tooth’s response is inflammation. If the body is unable to control and reverse the inflammation then the pulp may die. Once this tissue becomes infected the disease is irreversible. Antibiotics can't get to infections inside teeth.

The second reason for a root canal is trauma. Trauma or a fractured tooth can damage the pulp, and so can a lot of restorations, such as several fillings placed in the same tooth over a period of time. Sometimes, common dental procedures such as preparing a tooth for a crown can hurt the pulp and start the inflammatory process which, if the body can’t reverse, may result in the tooth needing a root canal.

When the pulp is inflamed but not infected, it may heal on its own. Your dentist may want to see if this will happen before doing root canal treatment. If the pulp remains inflamed, it can be painful and may lead to infection, which can affect the bone around the tooth. This can cause an abscess to form.

The goal of root canal treatment is to save the tooth by removing the infected or damaged pulp, treating any infection, and filling the empty root canals with a material called ‘gutta percha.’

If root canal treatment is not done, an infected tooth may have to be extracted, but it is always better to keep your natural teeth if you can. If a tooth is missing, neighboring teeth can drift out of line. They also can be overstressed from chewing. Keeping your natural teeth also helps you to avoid other treatments such as implants or bridges. Also, if you ignore an infected or injured tooth the infection can spread to other parts of your body.

Having root canal treatment on a tooth does not mean that the tooth will need to be pulled out in a few years. Once a tooth is treated, it may last the rest of your life.