Endodontics deals with conditions affecting the dental pulp and the tissues around tooth roots. Root canal treatment is its best known procedure. It aims to preserve a tooth when disease inside it cannot be managed with an ordinary filling.
What is inside a tooth?
Beneath the enamel and dentine is the pulp, which contains blood vessels and nerves. Deep decay, an injury or a crack can damage it. Your dentist considers symptoms, examination findings and any necessary imaging before recommending treatment. Severe pain is one possible sign, but pulp disease does not always produce the same symptoms.
More than removing a nerve
The root canal system is cleaned, disinfected and filled. The visible part of the tooth also needs an appropriate restoration. A leaking or inadequate restoration can compromise the tooth even when the work inside the roots has been completed carefully.
Can every tooth be saved?
No. Cracks, the amount of remaining tooth structure and the health of the supporting tissues all affect the decision. Sometimes the options include repeating root canal treatment, performing surgery or removing the tooth. Ask what makes each option suitable or unsuitable in your case.
After treatment, agree on the final restoration and review arrangements. The tooth still needs brushing, cleaning between the teeth and dental examinations. Root canal treatment does not make the remaining tooth structure immune to new decay.