A Root canal (Root Canal Therapy) is needed when the nerve of
a tooth is affected by decay or infection. In order to save the tooth,
the pulp (the living tissue inside the tooth), nerves, bacteria, and
any decay are removed and the resulting space is filled with special,
medicated, dental materials, which restore the tooth to its full
function.
Many patients
believe that removing a tooth that has problems is the solution, but
what is not realized is that extracting a tooth will ultimately be more
costly and cause significant problems for the surrounding teeth.
Root canal treatment is highly successful and usually lasts a lifetime.
Reasons for root canal therapy:
-
Decay has reached the tooth pulp (the living tissue inside the tooth).
-
Infection or abscess have developed inside the tooth or at the root tip.
-
Injury or trauma to the tooth.