Why do I need root canal therapy?

Teeth are very unique biological structures—especially when compared to other parts of the body such as tendons and bone. For example, when you injure a tendon or break a bone, these structures can self-repair and generate new tissue. Teeth, however, cannot self-repair once damaged by injury or disease. This is why restorative and endodontic therapy such as a root canal treatment must be performed by a dentist to restore the health of a tooth.

What is the root canal?

The root canal is located inside the tooth. This chamber houses pulp, nerves, and cellular material. In a healthy tooth, the root canal does not come into contact with debris from food or harmful oral bacteria because it is sealed.

What is root canal therapy?

When the root canal is no longer sealed off from bacteria and harmful particles, the nerves can become infected and inflamed. An infected root canal can produce very uncomfortable and painful symptoms such as toothaches. Because teeth are living structures, an infected root canal can cause the tooth to die, where it will fall out or need to be removed by a dentist. To prevent this from happening, root canal therapy involves clearing away the infected structures inside the root canal and sealing the root canal so that further damage does not occur.

Why is it necessary to have root canal therapy?

If our dentist recommends that you receive treatment for an infected root canal, it is because your tooth needs to be saved. If you wait too long to receive a root canal or forego receiving treatment altogether, you will ultimately lose your tooth. This is because the infection inside your tooth will only worsen and it will likely cause daily discomfort.

Our dentist is trained to perform root canal treatment as gently as possible. Most of our patients report positive experiences and no longer suffer with discomfort once their root canal is cleaned and sealed.

To schedule an appointment, contact any of our experienced dentists at The Dental Place today.