ROOT CANAL THERAPY

The goal of root canal therapy is to improve the health of the tooth by removing the damaged nerve. This procedure can relieve toothache, stop infection and promote healing. The pulp is removed from the root canals through a small opening in the top of the tooth. The canals are then sealed with a material to prevent bacteria from reaching your bone. Because a root canal removes the pulp inside the tooth, the tooth becomes more brittle and may break more easily, so the restoration of choice would be to cover the tooth with a crown.

Your root canal treatment will take several visits. The visits will last about one and a half hours and you will receive a local anesthesia. A rubber dam, which is a protective sheet of rubber that covers your mouth, may be used to isolate your tooth and prevent bacteria from entering the pulp chamber of the tooth. X-rays may be taken periodically to make sure the full length of the root canal is being treated.