Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment is a procedure to repair and save a severely damaged or infected tooth instead of removing it. The term root canal comes from cleaning the canals inside a tooth’s root. It is important to take care of an infected tooth as not to incur any more damage.

Root canal treatment, or more commonly incorrectly called a root canal, is a type of endodontic therapy. During a root canal treatment procedure, the nerve and pulp of the tooth are removed, and the inside is cleaned and sealed. The tooth pulp needs to be removed because when a tooth’s nerve tissue or pulp is damaged, it breaks down, and bacteria begin to multiply within the pulp chamber. If a damaged tooth goes untreated, the tissue surrounding the tooth will become infected, and an abscess may form.

Years ago, root canal treatments were often extremely painful. But with today’s tools, techniques, and anesthesia, it can be completed with minimal pain. It is probably more painful now to live with tooth decay versus receiving root canal treatment.

To learn more about root canal treatment, set up a consultation with Dr. Evan Wheeler today. During your consultation, he will determine the severity of the damaged tooth and recommend which procedure to move forward with.