Root Canal Treatment

When the nerve of a tooth becomes infected, a root canal treatment needs to be performed in order to prevent the tooth from having to be removed permanently.

Keeping the tooth in place can prevent other teeth from drifting out of line, potentially causing more problems. Saving the natural tooth by removing the nerve can also prevent the need for a replacement with an artificial tooth or dentures. There are many benefits to choosing a root canal if you need one:

• It can often be less costly than a full tooth replacement.
• It can help to reduce tooth pain
• It can prevent the worsening of a dental infection that could compromise overall health
• It is a simple procedure that can be carried out in just one visit.

Root canal treatment involves removing the infection from the inside of the tooth. When the pulp inside of a tooth is completely removed, the entire root canal system inside of the tooth is refilled, effectively killing the infection and strengthening the tooth. Without proper removal, the pulp can only become more infected and irritated.

Root canal therapy will not directly protect your tooth from other types of damage, so you will need to continue with regular dental visits and care for the remaining teeth that you have. In most cases, a tooth that has had a root canal can be saved, but without proper care after a root canal treatment, the tooth may need to be extracted.