Your teeth are made of three layers: Enamel, the hard outer layer, dentin, the second layer, and the pulp, which is the soft center of the tooth. The pulp contains the nerves and blood vessels that nourish your teeth through development. Insult to the pulp can include traumatic injury, like a broken or avulsed tooth, repeated dental procedures or a cavity that has made its way into these vital tissues. When this happens a root canal is often indicated.
What exactly is a root canal? Referred to as endodontic therapy, it is the process that involves the removal of damaged or inflamed pulpal tissues and the placement of specific materials to seal the tooth against further infection. This procedure is also often required when a dental infection has spread into bone and other surrounding tissues.
Why consider a root canal? Sometimes they are necessary when attempting to save a tooth. Keeping your own tooth means having the potential to maintain natural appearance, biting force and chewing sensation. Plus, today's modern anesthetics, rotary instrumentation, materials and digital X-ray equipment have made the negative connotations of a root canal a thing of the past. Your comfort is a central focus of our practice, and that includes root canal procedures!
