Root Canal Therapy (Endondontics)
Endodontic therapy (root canal therapy) helps treat a badly damaged or infected tooth by cleaning the inside of the canals inside the tooth’s root. This may be done to save the tooth from needing to be extracted. Damage or injury to a tooth may be caused by bacteria from a cavity(decay) or crack in the tooth, a traumatic injury to the tooth or orthodontic treatment (movement of teeth).
Symptoms of an infected or injured tooth may include:
- Swelling around the tooth/gums or your face and neck
- A pimple near the tooth
- A hole in the tooth
- Darkening tooth color
- Pain when chewing
- Movement of the tooth
- Toothache or tooth pain when chewing or to hot or cold drinks of food
Your dentist may recommend root canal therapy even if no symptoms are present if they see signs of an infection in the bone below the tooth on an x-ray, or if a cavity (decay) is very deep and touching the nerve (pulp) of the tooth.
Advances in dental technology and local anesthetics have made root canal therapy possible with little to no pain. In fact, living with an infected or decayed tooth is usually much more uncomfortable.
This procedure includes an x-ray of the tooth to confirm infection and shape of the tooth. A protective covering, called a dental dam, is placed over the tooth to help keep the tooth clean from debris and saliva. Decay is removed and a small hole is placed in the tooth to reach the canals inside the tooth. The dentist will clean the infected nerve tissue (pulp) from the inside of the tooth using small dental instruments and rinses then place a filling material inside the tooth. Following the completion of root canal therapy a crown (cap) is recommended to help protect the tooth and restore function.
Your dentist will decide if an antibiotic is necessary depending on the extent of the infection. The tooth may be sensitive for a few days after the procedure and usually over the counter pain medication, such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen, can help.
