Endodontics

Millions of teeth are saved using root canals each year, relieving patients from pain and restoring their smiles. The root canal or endodontic treatment is used to repair and, in turn, save an infected and/or decayed tooth or teeth. Using a root canal procedure to conserve a tooth may provide you with many benefits to your oral health.

Some of these benefits include a restored chewing and biting force, restored sensation, a more natural appearance, and protection from further damage or infection. 

At the centre of every tooth is a hollow area, known as the “pulp chamber”. The pulp chamber serves as a sort of reservoir that holds soft tissues such as the nerve, connective tissue, and blood vessels. The nerve of a tooth is located in the root. The root canals run from the root’s tip to the pulp chamber. However, the nerve does not play a major role in the day-to-day function of the tooth as it is primarily only used to detect hot or cold temperatures.

A root canal treatment takes place when the pulp of the tooth becomes damaged and bacteria starts to fill up the chamber and multiply. This, along with decaying pulp, causes the tooth to become infected or abscessed. An abscessed tooth typically has pus-filled pockets at the tip of the root. An infection in the tooth usually manifests in the canal, causing facial swelling, bone loss around the end of the root, or a drainage hole in the side of the tooth.