Root Canal Therapy

What is root canal therapy?

Root canal therapy is a way to treat disorders of the dental pulp — the soft tissue inside the tooth that contains nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue. Dr. Schrubb will evaluate your tooth and answer any questions you may have. Some questions include:

What causes and symptoms of pulpal nerve damage?

The most common causes of pulpal nerve damage are:

• physical irritation – generally brought on by aggressive tooth decay (cavity) reaching down to the nerve or through deep fillings, which allows harmful bacteria to reach the nerve resulting in infection and decay

• trauma – a blow to a tooth or the jaw can cause damage to sensitive nerve tissue within the tooth.

The following are the most common symptoms of pulpal nerve damage. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:

• pain in the tooth when biting down or chewing

• throbbing sensation in area of tooth with pulpal nerve damage

• oversensitivity of the teeth with hot or cold drinks

• facial swelling, bad odor, or bad taste in mouth

Why is root canal therapy necessary?

Without treatment, the infection of the dental pulp will spread to the bone around the tooth, making it no longer able to hold the tooth in place. The infection can also spread throughout your mouth and into other areas of your body.

What does the root canal procedure involve?

Treatment begins with the initial removal of some of the tooth structure to allow access to the pulpal tissue. Once the affected pulpal tissue is exposed, the affected area is removed. The area surrounding and containing the pulpal tissue is carefully cleaned, enlarged, and shaped to provide a clean, bondable surface to prohibit any further infection and discomfort. A medicament is placed, then a post and core build-up in addition to a crown is custom made to complete the rescue and restoration of the natural tooth. Dr. Schrubb usually performs root canal therapy in a single visit, followed up by a second visit to complete the restorative portion of treatment, such as the post and core build up and crown insert.

Our Dental Assistant, Sovanna, will also review after care instructions with you. It is important to follow through with the treatment proposed following root canal therapy to enhance the integrity of the treated tooth, such as special instructions, as well as the post and core build up and crown. If you are experiencing any of the signs or symptoms listed above, don’t wait until it gets worse, Contact Us Today!