Root Canal

Are you having recurring trouble with a tooth? Do you have severe pain when you chew or apply pressure to that tooth or sensitivity to hot or cold? Is there swelling, tenderness or a bump on the gums near that tooth?

Sounds like you may be in the need of a root canal, but why?

There's a part of a tooth, the pulp which surrounds the nerve of the tooth, which is vital early in life for the teeth to properly push through the gums. But later in life, especially when a cavity or crack in the tooth has been disregarded, the root can become infected, causing much pain. Once that the root has been damaged with infection, it should be removed to avoid further complications and spread of infection.

The "root canal" is actually the word used to describe the hollow space that is in the center of the tooth. The nerve of the tooth lays pulp inside this root canal. A root canal procedure removes the root (which is usually dead at this point of infection) and removes the pulp. Once the area is cleaned out and properly prepared the tooth is protected with a crown restoration that will save the tooth and avoid complete replacement.

A root canal does have a bad repute for being painful, although this is no longer the case, except in extreme cases. It is possible to have a stress-free root canal procedure with the newest gentle dentistry techniques.