When the nerve in a tooth dies, the infected tissue must be removed by either extracting the tooth, or performing a root canal. Removing the infection from the tooth and filling the canal where the nerve was removed is called a root canal (also known as endodontic treatment).
Why would a tooth need a Root Canal?
The nerve in a tooth can become infected for many reasons.
For example, an area of deep decay could involve the nerve, or the accidental fracture of part of the tooth could expose the nerve. Sometimes, just a blow to the tooth can cause the nerve to die and become infected.
In any case, when the nerve becomes infected, the nerve tissue must be removed by either extracting the tooth, or performing a root canal (endodontic treatment). Ideally, the root canal should be done before the infection has a chance to get into the bone, before the area develops extreme swelling and pain.
Periodic dental examinations, and having your tooth checked when it first begins to hurt will usually help avoid severe complications.
The procedure
Because your comfort is important to us, we make sure the tooth is thoroughly anesthetized before we begin. To get to the infected tooth pulp, we make an opening through the top of the crown down into the pulp chamber. A small tool called a dental file is then used to carefully remove the infected tissue and shape the root canals to receive a filling material.
At this point, X-rays may be taken to ensure that all of the infected pulp is removed. Finally, the root canal(s) is filled with a restorative material.
Follow Up
When the procedure is complete, we'll schedule follow-up appointments to restore your tooth. Depending on your unique situation, we may use any number of techniques to restore the tooth, the most common of which involves the placing of a crown. When the time comes, we'll work together to decide which restorative procedure best suits your needs.