WHY DO I NEED A ROOT CANAL?
Sometimes, it helps to understand better what the procedure is and why we perform it. The name “root canal” can sound a little scary, but what it’s actually referring to is a part of your tooth’s anatomy.
Your tooth has layers to it. The top layer, the enamel, is the white, shiny part that everyone sees when you smile. Just beneath the enamel is the more porous dentin. The inside of your tooth is a chamber that contains nerves and tissue called pulp, and there’s a canal that allows the nerves of your tooth to run from the pulp cavity into your jaw. This is the root canal.
If you have a particularly deep cavity or injure your tooth in an accident, the root canal can become infected. This infection is usually quite painful, and the only way to treat it is with either an extraction or root canal therapy.
We think the main reason root canals are considered painful is because the condition they treat is so painful, that it’s a “guilt by association” situation. But a root canal will actually relieve your pain and restore the function of the tooth.
HOW IS A ROOT CANAL PERFORMED?
To start your procedure, we’ll make sure that you are completely numb. Your comfort is important to us, and we don’t want you to feel a thing as we treat your tooth.
Once you are numb, we’ll create a hole in your tooth that gives us access to the root canal. We’ll remove the nerve and the damaged tissue and use specialized instruments to carefully clean out the infection. Next, we’ll sterilize the inside of your tooth, and we may place an antibiotic treatment in there just to make sure that no bacteria remain. Finally, we’ll fill your tooth. We may also recommend a crown to cover and protect your tooth.
