What is root canal treatment?

Sometimes teeth, because of decay, or extra pressure, or chewing ice, or a myriad of other reasons, decide to die. The tissue inside the tooth can rot and your body reacts to that rot by making puss and causing a great deal of pain. If the tooth is in good shape, you may decide to keep it by having a dentist remove the dead tissue inside the tooth. The dentist makes a hole on the top of the tooth (or in the back for front teeth) and uses small files to remove the tissue and shape the canals where the tissue was. Then special filling material made out of a rubbery substance called gutta percha is put in where the canals were and sealed into place with cement. Recently newer filling materials have appeared but they work the same way, filling the canal areas where the tissue was, so there is nothing for your body to react with. Usually a tooth is weakened by the treatment and a crown is recommended for extra protection against breaking the tooth.

What happens if the pulp gets injured?

The pulp has only one signal to send to the brain, pain. Sometimes it can die without sending that information, but pain from the pulp is at the heart of most tooth aches.

What is the dental pulp?

Inside the tooth is soft tissue with lots of blood. It is the tissue that originally laid down the tooth structure and it continues to do so throughout life.

Why does the pulp need to be removed?

Once the pulp dies, it can rot, causing the body to react and thus causing an abscess. There can be lots of pain with an abscess.

Why would I need a root canal procedure?

Usually you have gone to the dentist with a solid tooth ache and want the dentist to do something about it. Sometimes the dentist takes a x-ray and sees an abscess under the tooth that has yet brought no pain.