Root Canal Therapy is a sequence of treatment for the nerve of a tooth in order to eliminate infection and to protect the tooth from future bacterial attacks. The procedure involves removal of the nerve tissue, blood vessels and other cells from within the root of a tooth, the cleaning, shaping and decontamination of these root canal with tiny files and irrigating solutions and then filling, of the cleaned out canals with an inert filling, such as gutta percha and a cement. After the surgery the tooth will be “dead”, and if the infection is spread at apex, root end surgery is required.

Although the procedure is relatively painless when done properly, the root canal remains the stereotypical fearsome dental operation, and in the United States, a common response to an unpleasant proposal is, “I’d rather have a root canal.”!! Yikes!

After a root canal treatment, the tooth looses all of its natural hydration from the nerve and blood vessels and becomes very brittle. This can make a tooth more prone to fracture especially if the tooth is a molar where most of the biting forces are concentrated. For this reason, dentists usually recommend a crown to protect teeth that have undergone root canal treatment.

Root Canal Therapy