Inside every tooth is a chamber containing the pulp — nerve and blood vessels. When bacteria reach that space through deep decay, a crack, or trauma, the pulp becomes inflamed and then infected. Because it is enclosed in hard tissue, the swelling has nowhere to go, which is why the pain can be severe. Root canal therapy removes the infected pulp, disinfects the canal system and seals it, allowing you to keep the tooth.
Signs you may need one
Common symptoms include lingering pain after hot or cold, pain on biting, a persistent ache, tenderness in the gum near the tooth, a pimple-like swelling on the gum, or darkening of a single tooth. Some teeth need treatment with no symptoms at all, where infection is found on a radiograph taken for another reason.
What to expect
The tooth is numbed thoroughly and isolated with a rubber dam, which keeps the area clean and dry. Your dentist at Parkway Dental makes a small opening in the biting surface, removes the inflamed pulp, then cleans and shapes the canals with fine instruments and disinfecting solutions. Once the canals are clean and dry, they are filled with a rubber-like material called gutta-percha and sealed. Treatment takes one or two appointments depending on the tooth.
The procedure itself feels much like having a deep filling. The reputation root canals carry comes from the severe toothache that precedes them — the treatment is what relieves that pain.
After treatment
Tenderness on biting for a few days is normal as the surrounding ligament settles, and usually responds to over-the-counter anti-inflammatories. A root-treated tooth is more brittle than a living one, because it has lost its internal blood supply and usually has a substantial cavity. Back teeth in particular need a crown afterwards to prevent fracture, and fitting it promptly is one of the strongest factors in how long the tooth survives. Restored properly, a root-treated tooth can last for decades.