Teeth are held in the jaw by their roots. Inside each tooth is the “pulp" or "nerve” which supplies nourishment and sensation to the tooth. Root canals are very small, thin canals that branch off from the pulp chamber down to the tip of the root. A tooth has at least one but no more than four root canals.

When the pulp or root canal is diseased or injured, it “dies”. If you don’t remove the dead tissues your tooth gets infected and you could lose it.

Root Canal or Endodontic Treatment is the removal and cleaning out of any infection in the pulp and root canals.

The goal of root canal treatment is to preserve the tooth.

The Problem

What will happen if you leave the tooth untreated?

The Solution

The Procedure

Advantages

Disadvantages

Alternatives

The Problem :

Spontaneous pain or throbbing of the tooth
Pain while biting or chewing
Prolonged sensitivity to hot and cold
Deep cavity
Cracked, chipped or split tooth
Discoloration of the tooth
Gum (periodontal) disease
Trauma, such as a sudden blow to the mouth

For many damaged pulps or root canals there are NO SYMPTOMS. Your dentist may discover a “dead” tooth in an x-ray.

What will happen if you leave the tooth untreated?

The tooth will not heal by itself
Pain will worsen
The infection will cause swelling that may spread to other areas of the face, neck or head
Bone around the tooth will begin to degenerate
Swelling with pus will form in the area around the tooth root, called an abscess
The tooth may fall out
Possibility of losing the tooth

The Solution :

When the pulp and the root canal(s) have been irreparably damaged, rather than extracting the tooth, your dentist may attempt to save it by performing Root Canal Treatment.

Occasionally, if an abscess has formed at the base of the tooth, it will be necessary to perform a Root Canal Surgery, known as Apicectomy. This is a minor surgical procedure in which the tissue at the base of the root is removed.

The Procedure :

Root Canal Treatment may require a series of appointments at your dentist’s office, during which the following will be done:

A small opening is made on the top of the tooth to remove the infected pulp and then clean and shape the root(s).
If required, medication will be added to the pulp chamber and root canal(s) to help eliminate bacteria.
The pulp chamber and root canals are filled with a specialized filling and sealed.
A metal or plastic post may be placed in the root canal for structural support.
A crown or a permanent filling will be done after there has been no sign of infection. Crowns are usually preferred as the tooth that has root canal treatment becomes “dead” which causes it to become brittle and can break easily, unless crowned.

Root canalled teeth are still prone to tooth decay, so they must be brushed and flossed regularly, like your other teeth.

Advantages :

The biggest advantage of Root Canal Treatment is that the tooth will not need to be extracted in the future. You are saving your tooth as well as money because if the tooth is extracted then you will need to replace it with either an implant or a bridge, both of which will cost you more than the Root Canal Treatment.

Disadvantages :

More than 95% of Root Canal Treatments are successful. However, sometimes a case needs to be redone due to new trauma, deep decay or loose, cracked or broken filling, which may cause infection. Also, in some cases your dentist may discover very narrow or curved canals that could not be treated during the initial procedure. Sometimes, a root canal treated tooth may need a root canal surgery to be saved.

Alternatives :

There is no alternative to root canal treatment but to extract the tooth