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.
Having a root canal done on a
tooth is the treatment of choice to save a tooth that otherwise would
die and have to be removed. Many patients believe that removing a tooth
that has problems is the solution, but what is not realized is that
extracting (pulling) a tooth will ultimately be more costly and cause
significant problems for adjacent teeth.
Root canal treatment is highly successful and usually lasts a lifetime. Best of all, it can save your tooth and your smile.