Getting to the Root of a Root Canal

A toothache or sensitivity to hot or cold or swelling may be signs that you need a root canal. Of course, if you do have any kind of tooth discomfort, do not self-diagnose. Call our office and we’ll make sure you get a proper diagnosis for the pain and provide a root canal, if necessary. A root canal is necessary when the soft tissue inside your teeth; blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue; becomes inflamed or diseased.

This inflammation can be due to a variety of things: deep decay, faulty crowns, crack or chip in the tooth, or trauma that might have caused unseen pulp damage The root canal treatment removes the diseased pulp and nerves located within the root. The pulp chamber and root of the tooth are then cleaned and sealed. This whole procedure is similar to mummifying a body.

What I mean by that, is that the procedure is not to “save” the tooth but the “preserve” it. By the time you need the root canal, the tooth is already dead. But why preserve a dead tooth – why not pull it out? Good question. You certainly can, however, you will need to replace the dead tooth with in implant.

So, ultimately, you need to decide if you should the root canal or implants. In order to make the best decision you will need to know the predictability of success of the root canal. This is something that we will help you with.