All City Dental

Root canal treatment (also referred to as root canal therapy or endodontic therapy) is made necessary when a cavity is allowed, through neglect, to reach all the way to the pulp. (Regular cleanings and checkups prevent and detect such problems early). In addition, sometimes deep restorations or trauma to a tooth may cause the nerve to be damaged to the point that it needs root canal therapy. Once this occurs the pulp becomes infected, and the infection can even extend through the root tip and begin to eat away at the surrounding bone (this is called an abscess). By the time the pulp is infected, it must be treated and cannot heal on its own. A root canal is then performed to clean out the infected tooth pulp and disinfect the canals of the tooth. The only other treatment would be to extract the tooth. Once the infection is resolved, the canal(s) are filled in to prevent any further infection. Usually a core build-up and crown are recommended for restoring a tooth that has had root canal therapy.