Root Canal (Endodontics)

Endodontics is a practice that covers the nerves of the tooth, and the most infamous form of endodontics is the root canal.

While root canals are often thought of as scary procedures, they’re actually quite simple, and they’re the most common experience with endodontics that patients have. When teeth succumb to infection, the nerves of the teeth are affected, and this is what causes the deep pain often associated with tooth infections. When the infected nerves are removed, the jaw is saved from future infection and bone loss, and the patient is saved from experiencing any more pain related to the tooth in question.

While root canals have quite the reputation, they’re actually surprisingly painless.

The first step in the root canal process is sufficiently numbing up the site of the tooth, and this allows a person to continue on with the remainder of the procedure without having to feel a thing. Once the local anesthetic has kicked in, the dentist will begin drilling a hole in the tooth that goes all the way to the root, thus creating an opening into the root’s canal. Through this hole, the infected nerves and tissue are removed, and the hole is then filled with a dental sealant with the name “gutta percha”.

Once the root canal has been completed, the dentist will then file down the tooth to make room for a crown, and a mold will be taken to ready the tooth’s new permanent shield. In order to protect the tooth while the crown is readied, a temporary crown will be placed to keep the tooth in good condition. After a root canal, the tooth is severely weakened, and a crown can keep the tooth’s structure sound as it provides a new and pain-free structure on which the patient can chew.

If you believe you are in need of root canal treatment for a dental emergency please contact our office immediately at (631) 751-7645.