root
canal treatment / endodontic therapy
Root
canal treatment, also known as endodontic therapy, is probably
the most maligned of all dental procedures, but the
reputation of pain typically associated with "having a root
canal" is really not deserved. The majority of people
who have undergone root canal treatment typically report
that the process itself is no more involved than having
a filling placed.
Our pages will describe for you the overall
goals of root canal treatment, the
treatment's individual steps, and also what
other dental work might be necessary for a tooth which has
had its root canal treatment completed. We also discuss
the costs
associated with root canal treatment, what
role endodontists play in providing this type of therapy,
and why
root canal treatment can fail.
What
is root canal treatment?
Root canal therapy refers to the treatment of the inner
aspects of a tooth, specifically that area inside a tooth
originally occupied by the tooth's "pulp tissue".
Most people would probably refer to a tooth's pulp tissue
as its "nerve". While a tooth's pulp tissue does contain
nerve fibers it is also composed of arteries, veins, lymph
vessels, and connective tissue.
For
the purposes of this discussion, so to use a term people
seem to be most familiar with, we will use the terms "nerve"
and "nerve tissue" to refer to a tooth's pulp tissue.
Where
precisely in a tooth is its nerve?
While
teeth are hard calcified objects, they are not completely
solid. In the inner most aspect of every tooth there lies
a hollow space which, when a tooth is healthy, contains the
tooth's nerve tissue. Dentists use the following terms to
refer to various portions of this nerve area:
- The
pulp chamber.
- This
is a hollow space that lies more or less in the center
of the tooth.
- The
root canals.
- Each
tooth's nerve enters the tooth, in generalities, at the
tip of its root(s). From this point the nerve then runs
through the center of the root in small "root canals"
which subsequently join up with the tooth's pulp chamber.
What
are the functions of a tooth's nerve tissue?
You
might think that a tooth's nerve tissue is vitally important
to a tooth's health and function, but in reality it's not.
A tooth's nerve tissue plays an important role in the growth
and development of the tooth, but once the tooth has erupted
through the gums and has finished maturing the nerve's only
function is sensory (it provides the tooth with the ability
to feel hot and cold).
In regards to the normal day to day functioning of our mouths,
the sensory information provided by a single tooth is really
quite minimal. Dentists realize that on a practical level
it is pretty much academic whether a tooth has a live nerve
in it or not. If a tooth's nerve tissue is present and healthy,
wonderful. But if a tooth has had its nerve tissue removed
during root canal treatment that's fine too, you will never
miss it.
Root
Canal Treatment
Endodontic Therapy
- Page
1
Where in a tooth is its nerve?
- Page
2
What is the purpose of root canal treatment?
- Page
3
How do you know when you need root canal treatment?
- Page
4
Is root canal treatment painful?
- Page
5 and 6
What are the individual steps of root canal treatment?
- Page
7
What additional dental work is required after root canal
treatment has been completed?
- Page
8
How much does root canal treatment cost?
- Page
9
What are the alternatives to root canal treatment?
- Page
10
What can cause root canal treatment to fail?
|
