A root canal is the process of removing infected tissue from within a tooth in order to prevent or stop the infection from spreading further. Root canals involve local anesthesia so your tooth is comfortable while the procedure is completed. When a root canal is performed, your tooth is opened up, all compromised tooth structure is removed, the infected nerve tissue is removed and the tooth is sealed off with a material called gutta percha. You can think of a root canal as cleaning the lead out of pencil and then sealing it off.
Teeth can have multiple canals that contain nerve fibers and a blood supply. Root canals involve cleaning out each canal of the tooth and sealing off each individual canals. Teeth in the front of the mouth will commonly have only one nerve canal, but teeth in the back of the mouth will usually have at least three nerve canals. It takes time to clean out each nerve canal completely and seal it off, so the amount of time or number of appointments needed to complete root canal therapy can depend on the tooth that is being worked on.
Once a root canal is completed, the area can be a little tender for a few days, but should be a vast improvement if the tooth was painful to begin with. Thorough instructions will be given to you following the root canal treatment to ensure you are comfortable and understand what to expect in the days following. It is recommended for teeth that have root canals in the back of the mouth to have crowns placed over the top of them, to ensure the tooth is completely protected and sealed off.
Taher Family Dental is proud to serve Worcester county and the surrounding areas. If you are in need for comprehensive dental treatment, contact us to get scheduled!