Root canal treatment saves a tooth whose nerve has been damaged by decay, trauma or infection. The infected pulp and bacteria are removed, the space is disinfected and sealed, and the tooth is restored to full function — instead of being extracted.
When is a root canal needed?
Common signs include prolonged sensitivity to hot or cold, pain on biting, a darkening tooth, tenderness or swelling in the surrounding gum, or an abscess — a pimple-like bump on the gum. Some teeth needing treatment produce no symptoms at all and are found on examination.
Why not just pull the tooth?
Many patients assume extraction is the simpler answer. It usually is not. Pulling a tooth is more expensive over time and causes real problems for the teeth around it — drift, bite collapse and bone loss at the site. Keeping your own tooth, when it can be kept, is almost always the better option.
What happens during treatment?
The tooth is numbed and isolated with a rubber dam to keep it dry and clean. An access opening is made and fine files remove the pulp, nerve tissue, bacteria and any decay. The cleaned canals are then filled and sealed with medicated dental materials and the access closed. This takes one or more appointments depending on the tooth.
How does 3D imaging change the outcome?
Root canals fail most often because a canal was never found — molars in particular can carry extra or sharply curved canals invisible on a flat x-ray. Our Vatech PaxDuo 3D imaging shows the canal anatomy in volume before we begin.
Will I need a crown afterwards?
Usually, yes. A treated tooth has lost structure and becomes brittle; a crown protects it from fracture. Because we mill restorations in-house, that crown can often be designed, milled and bonded the same day rather than weeks later under a temporary.
Does it hurt?
The procedure relieves pain rather than causing it. If dental anxiety is what has kept you away, we offer nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation and IV sedation.
How long does it last?
Root canal treatment is highly successful and often lasts a lifetime, though a tooth occasionally needs retreatment if a new infection develops.