1. What is root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment is the removal of the nerve and associated vessels of the tooth and placement of a stable filling material.


2. What is the dental pulp?

The dental pulp consists of a nerve and blood vessels that provide sensation and nourishment to the tooth.


3. What happens if the pulp gets injured?

If the pulp gets injured, it will respond in a similar fashion as other areas of the body. It may just get aggravated and will heal on its own, or it may be too injured to do this and will require treatment. It will depend on what caused the injury and how long it has been going on. Signs of a distressed pulp that is not healing and requires treatment are sensitivity to hot, cold, or sweets that lingers for 10-20 seconds or longer, severe pain that keeps you up at night and severe pain when eating. The only way to determine a diagnosis is with a clinical exam and a x-ray to determine where the pain is coming from.Teeth are notorious for having referred pain. This can make it feel like one tooth hurts, but the actual injured tooth is somewhere else. This is why an exam and x-rays are needed to confirm a diagnosis.


4. Why does the pulp need to be removed?

The pulp would need to be removed when it is infected or if the tooth needs to be rebuilt and needs internal support such as a post.The body heals when good stuff is brought by the blood to the injured site and the bad stuff is removed by the blood. The blood supply for a tooth is inadequate to perform this function after the very early stages of an infection has passed.


5. What does treatment involve?

Root canal therapy involves the creation of an access to the pulp, much like getting a filling, removal of the pulp tissue by mechanical and chemical means. This cleans and disinfects the canals. Finally, a stable filling material, usually gutta percha or some type of resin, is placed in the canals. This completes the root canal procedure. However, a final definitive restoration will need to be placed to protect the top part of the tooth. This final restoration will depend on which tooth it is and why it was treated to begin with.


6. Why would I need an endodontic procedure?

Anytime a tooth has an infection it will probably need root canal treatment. Also, if a tooth has a cavity that is very deep or compromised much of the tooth structure, root canal treatment may be needed in order to place internal support for the final tooth restoration. These supports are called posts & cores or build-ups and are used to support crowns which restore the tooth to full function.