Sometimes patients hear the words “root canal” and become nervous because they fear a painful procedure. However root canal therapy, called surgical pulpectomy, is specifically designed to alleviate pain and save the damaged tooth. The experienced dentists in our offices use this procedure to treat severe tooth infection.
Have you noticed that you always use one side of your mouth to chew? Does one spot in your mouth have sensitivity to hot or cold food and liquids? If you have pain deep in the bone of your tooth, it could be a sign of an infection spreading and causing an abscess. The treatment for this condition is a root canal procedure, which can be done by our skilled dentists in-house. No need to visit other locations to get the care you need.
Although “root canal” has become a common term for the dental procedure, the real root canal is a small channel that runs from the dental crown to bottom of the tooth root. This inner chamber houses a rich blood supply that is fueled by a network of nerves, blood vessels, and various tissues. It is also easy for oral infections to spread to this area, and if the infection becomes worse it can spread through the root canal to the pulp and form an abscess.
You may not have heard of the term pulp outside of orange juice, but in dentistry the pulp is the life of the tooth. Inside the core of the tooth, a hollow space contains the soft tissues that link the tooth to the root through canals. Since blood is channeling to the tooth through these canals, if an infection spreads, it can become a serious health condition.
Our dentists use root canal procedures to remove damaged pulp, prevent the spread of infection, and save the damaged tooth. This treatment alleviates pain and sensitivity caused by infection and allows patients to return to full functionality of their teeth.