How is root canal done

Sealing the tooth with cement and placing a dental crown reduces the likelihood of bacteria re-entering the tooth. Dental crowns also provide protection from damage, as well as further structural support.

Now that you have a better understanding of what happens during a root canal, you can also understand why your tooth hurts and why you need a root canal. While root canals are still no walk in the park, knowing how a root canal is performed will help you feel calmer and more prepared the day of your procedure.

These four doctors bring a range of experience, diverse backgrounds, and professional knowledge together to provide families with a safe and friendly home for their oral health needs. Make a Payment. Facebook-f Twitter Instagram Map-marked-alt Pinterest. How is a Root Canal Performed?

Get Social. What is root canal retreatment? What is root canal surgery? Root canal treatment, also known as endodontic treatment, is the process of removing infected, injured or dead pulp from your tooth. The space inside the hard layers of each tooth is called the root canal system. This system is filled with soft dental pulp made up of nerves and blood vessels that help your tooth grow and develop.

When bacteria germs enter your tooth through deep cavities, cracks or flawed fillings, your tooth can become abscessed. An abscessed tooth is a tooth with an infection in the pulp. If pulp becomes infected, it needs to be removed.

Your dentist may notice the infection from a dental x-ray or from other changes with the tooth. If left untreated, an abscessed tooth can cause serious oral health problems.

Your dentist may do root canal treatment or refer you to an endodontist. An endodontist is a dentist who has completed a university post-graduate specialty program in endodontics. Endodontics is a specialty of dentistry concerned with the treatment of the dental pulp or nerve of the tooth. If your child's primary baby tooth is damaged, your dentist may refer you to a pediatric dentist for this procedure.

A pediatric dentist has at least 2 years of extra university training in treating children. After a root canal treatment, your tooth has to be restored fixed to look, feel and work as much like a natural tooth as possible. Some patients opt for extraction, especially if it hurts a lot or if the tooth cannot be restored, for example, if there is large decay, trauma, or loss of bone due to periodontal, or gum, disease.

However, removing a tooth may mean that the surrounding teeth start to move and become crooked. This can look unsightly, and it can make it hard to have a good bite. However, saving the natural tooth is best, if possible, because nothing functions as well as a natural tooth.

The cost of dental treatment varies widely, but saving the tooth with a root canal is relatively cost-efficient. The other option is extraction, and the cost of an implant or bridge to replace the tooth afterward is usually more expensive. Extraction can also lead to malocclusion, or misaligned teeth, and difficulty chewing. If an antibiotic is needed, it is important to finish the entire prescription. It is essential to have a permanent restoration placed, such as a crown, once the root canal therapy is complete.

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Learn the average costs, pros and cons, and what to expect from the procedure here. Cleaning and filling the root canal After the pulp has been removed, your dentist will clean and enlarge the root canal.

The root canal is usually very narrow, which makes it difficult to fill. The more roots a tooth has, the longer the treatment will take to complete. The tooth will then be sealed using a temporary filling. Sealing and fixing the tooth At your next visit, the temporary filling and medicine within the tooth is removed and the root canal filling will be inserted.

This, along with a filling, seals the tooth and prevents reinfection. Adding a crown A crown is a cap that completely covers a real tooth. Crowns can be made from: metal or porcelain or both a ceramic material powdered glass The dentist will reduce the size of your tooth and use the crown to replace what's removed. When fitting the crown, cement will be used to glue the crown to the trimmed-down tooth. Find out more about what NHS dental fillings and crowns are made of How successful is root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment is usually successful at saving the tooth and clearing the infection. Around 9 out of 10 root-treated teeth survive for 8 to 10 years.