Inside each tooth is a space containing dental pulp, which consists of nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue.
Deep decay, cracks, trauma, or other injuries can allow the pulp to become irreversibly inflamed or infected.
Root canal therapy is performed to remove this diseased tissue while allowing the natural tooth to remain in the mouth.
Common signs that a tooth may require root canal treatment include:
Some teeth requiring root canal treatment produce surprisingly few symptoms.
At John E. Sullivan DDS, P.C., the tooth is evaluated clinically and radiographically before treatment.
After local anesthesia is administered, an opening is created through the tooth to access the internal canal system.
The canals are located, cleaned, shaped, disinfected, and then filled with a biocompatible material.
The opening in the tooth is subsequently restored.
Because teeth requiring root canal therapy have frequently lost substantial tooth structure before treatment even begins, a crown or other protective restoration is commonly recommended afterward, particularly for back teeth.
Root canal treatment does not make a tooth immune to future problems, but when properly restored and maintained, it can allow a compromised natural tooth to remain functional for many years.