Root Canals
The root canals are pulp-filled tunnels, or channels, in the roots of your teeth. Patients typically need a root canal when there is inflammation or infection of the pulp tissue. Root canal treatment is a procedure to relieve dental pain and save your teeth. During root canal treatment, the specialist carefully removes the pulp inside the tooth, cleans, disinfects and shapes the root canals, and places a filling to seal the space.
The providers at Cornerstone Endodontics are highly trained in treating the root canal. We will work to ensure you're able to return to optimal oral health in the least invasive, most effective way possible.
A good resource to find out more about root canals is the American Association of Endodontists: https://www.aae.org
The Procedure
A local anesthetic will be given. A sheet of non-latex rubber called the "rubber dam" will be placed around the tooth to isolate it, hence keeping it clean and dry during treatment. The treatment consists of three or four basic steps, but the number of visits will depend on your particular case. Some treatments take 2 visits but many are just a single visit. In any case, it depends on the degree of infection/inflammation and degree of treatment difficulty. To us, it's more important to do it the very best we can than to meet a specific time criteria.
The first step is accessing the pulp by making a small opening in the biting surface of the tooth. Next, the contents of the nerve tunnels are cleaned out. The contents could be nerve tissue, necrotic tissue, and bacteria. Finally, a rubber filling material called Gutta Percha is placed inside the tunnels to seal them. A temporary filling is placed in the opening of the biting surface of the tooth.
One of the most important aspects for completion of root canal therapy happens after you leave the office. You will need to return to your dentist for a permanent restoration in a timely manner. The success of your root canal is dependent on having the tooth permanently restored within 30 days.
There are, of course, no guarantees. Root canal, or endodontic therapy, has a very high degree of success. Teeth which can be treated near ideal have a success rate up to ninety percent! As your provider, we will discuss the chances of success before any endodontic procedure to help you make an informed decision.
