What is a root canal?

Root canals are very specialized procedures designed to treat badly damaged teeth. Normally, the soft insides and nerves (known as the pulp) of a tooth are protected by a hard exterior, but, in cases of extreme decay, the pulp of a tooth can become damaged and infected. Left untreated, the infection can cause enormous pain and spread to the gums and tissues surrounding the teeth, eventually eating away at the bone in your mouth. Early detection and treatment is vital in these circumstances.

Unfortunately, infections of this type can’t just be treated with antibiotics. A dentist has to physically get into the pulp of the tooth and clear out the infected tissue. The root canal therapy procedure does just that.

During the procedure, the dentist carefully drills through the outer layers of the tooth until he or she can see the damaged pulp. The nerves and pulp are carefully removed, and the remaining space is cleaned, filled, and sealed off to prevent any further infection from developing. After making sure all the infection is eradicated, the dentist completes the procedure by filling the opening, leaving the tooth just as functional as before.

You might be thinking, isn’t removing the nerves of a tooth a bad idea? Actually, it’s not really a big issue at all. The important role of the nerves is to direct the tooth while it grows in. For fully developed adult teeth, the nerves don’t play a big role at all. They help the teeth detect the presence or absence of heat, meaning that the absence of the nerves don’t actually change the day-to-day functions of the tooth. Patients who go through a root canal can return to chewing and eating normally.