When a patient comes to our office with an infected nerve in a tooth, root canal therapy can save a precious tooth from extraction. Sometimes infection can be present even if there is no discomfort.
Root canal treatment (endodontic therapy) is necessary when the nerve of a tooth becomes damaged from decay, trauma or a crack in the tooth, and a conventional restoration cannot treat the problem.
While the patient is under a local anesthetic, we remove the diseased nerve within the tooth. A tooth can have one to four canals, and all of the canals must be treated. After the nerve has been removed, the canals are filled with a root canal filling to prevent further invasion of bacteria.
Depending on the extent of the infection, more than one visit may be necessary. Following the treatment, patients may need only simple analgesics, and we might prescribe antibiotics if infection is involved.
After the Root Canal Following a root canal, the sealed tooth requires a permanent restoration. In many cases, the tooth will need the protection of a full crown. Permanent restoration is the patient’s responsibility and is necessary to safeguard the tooth.
