Remember Me
forgot your password?

What is Root Canal Treatment?

Root canal treatment, also called root canal therapy, is a procedure used to treat problems of the inside of the tooth, or the dental pulp. It is a way to save teeth that might otherwise have to be pulled. The treatment could involve from one to three visits to your dentist or Endodontist, (root canal specialist). During treatment, the diseased pulp is removed and the pulp chamber and root canals of the tooth are cleaned and sealed.

The root canals of a tooth are the parts of the pulp cavity which are inside the roots, and in a healthy tooth contain the vital (live) pulp tissues. The pulp is made up of mostly nerves and blood vessels. The nerves inside the tooth are responsible for transmitting feelings of pain and temperature inside the tooth. Root canals have different shapes in each tooth. They can also vary between different people and races, and they also can narrow as you get older.

Root canal treatment is the removal of damaged or infected nerves and tissue from the inside of your tooth's pulp chamber.

Inside the root of every tooth is a nerve, with pulp surrounding and protecting the nerve and a blood supply that extends out the end of the root to your circulatory system. This space inside the root is called the canal space.

Root canal therapy involves drilling a small opening in the tooth, removing the nerve, blood supply and pulp. The canal is then cleaned, shaped, sterilized and the end of the root and canal space is then sealed off with a filling material, much like a cavity or hole in your tooth would be filled. A root canal is a repair to the inside of the tooth and is the only alternative for internal tooth nerve damage or tooth abscess besides having the tooth removed.

Root canal treatment allows you to keep a tooth you would otherwise have to have pulled. When there is infection inside the tooth, there is no cure. The bacteria continue to spread to the nerve and surrounding tissue.

Many people wonder why medications, like antibiodics, cannot cure the infection. The fact is that the tissues swell, cutting off the blood supply so there is no way to get the medication to the area. Yes, they can help surrounding tissue, but cannot reach the inside of the tooth.

Without proper treatment, a diseased tooth will abscess and become a life threatening situation. With your brain only inches away from your tooth, there have been cases of systemic infection that resulted in death.

Root canal treatment can be painless if caught early. Like most problems, the longer you wait the worse it can be to treat. See your dentist right away if you feel any pain with chewing, or to hot and cold foods.

Deborah L Boynton
Debbie Boynton has worked in dental for eight years. Find more info: Toothache Help Use this article on your website as long as this resource box is included and this article remains unchanged. ©2006 Debbie L Boynton
Rate this Article: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s)
Print Email Re-Publish

Add new Comment



Captcha

  • Latest Non-Fiction Articles
  • More from Deborah L Boynton

How To Write Memoirs - The Basic Principles

By: Trevor Johnson | 27/11/2009
Many of us have at some stage of our lives thought about writing down our life experiences. But the idea often passes as quickly as it arrives. Most of us plainly don't know the basis principles of how to write memoirs.

THE VIBRANT SHADES OF VERMILLION

By: mamta | 27/11/2009
The changes I underwent in life led me from a hatefulness to a strange fondness for the color red.. We always tend to relate colors with different moods and stages of our life..vibrant shades of vermillion brings about a few experiences that my heart encountered!

Random Things that Wake Me Up at Night

By: Kasan Groupe | 24/11/2009
Title really says it all.

In Bible versus Quran: the Ostrich Forgets that a Foot may crush her Eggs

By: Prof.dr. Ibrahim Khalil | 23/11/2009
The Bible says that the ostrich forgets that a foot may crush her eggs or that the wild beast may break and trample them. The ostrich is not mentioned therein in the Quran. On the other hand, the Quran says that the birds in general live in societies like human beings.

Why Should You Write Your Own Life Story?

By: Patrika Vaughn | 19/11/2009
Writing your life story is embarking on a journey through the past. It’s a unique journey, one no one else has ever taken.

In the Quran: Why did Allah Say unto Moses, behold the mountain?

By: Prof.dr. Ibrahim Khalil | 18/11/2009
The Noble Quran says that When Moses asked to see Allah, Allah Said, behold the mountain, which is stronger than you are, and if it remains, stays fixed, in its place, then you shall see Me’.

Bukit Merah

By: Jing | 17/11/2009
A description of the town I live in. And humanity through my eyes.

Where to from Here?

By: Robert | 16/11/2009
Something to Think About

What is Root Canal Treatment?

By: Deborah L Boynton | 22/07/2006 | Non-Fiction
Root canal treatment, also called root canal therapy, is a procedure used to treat problems of the inside of the tooth, or the dental pulp. It is a way to save teeth that might otherwise have to be pulled. The treatment could involve from one to three visits to your dentist or Endodontist, (root canal specialist).

Help! My Tooth is Killing Me

By: Deborah L Boynton | 14/04/2006 | Health
What to do at home for a toothache to stop the pain until you can get in to see your dentist.

Root Canal - It's Not a Horror Story

By: Deborah L Boynton | 02/02/2006 | Health
You've heard it a thousand times: "I'd rather have a root canal than ___" you fill in the blank. Root canals have gained one of the worst reputations on the planet and, believe it or not, it is much undeserved.

Submit Your Articles Free: Signup
Article Categories




Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (0.16, 6, w1)