Root canal treatment
What is an endodontic treatment (root canal treatment)
The root canal treatment is one of the most common dental treatments. More than 1.5 million teeth are saved each year in Canada through endodontics. This safe and effective treatment allows the dentist to treat a diseased tooth in order to keep it in the mouth. The success rate of this treatment is high. At Centre Dentaire Anjou we have the privilege to count within our team doctor Matthew Miller, one of the best endodontists in Montreal.
The center of the tooth is the pulp. It is composed of blood vessels, nerves and connective tissues. The pulp is responsible for the formation of the tooth during its development. It can become inflamed and / or infected after a trauma, in the presence of deep caries or when a tooth has undergone several repeated fillings.
Some signs of pulpal disease are:
- Exaggerated sensitivity to heat and cold
- Discoloration of the tooth
- Swelling
- Pain in the gums
Endodontic treatment (root canal treatment) is necessary when the nerve of the tooth is infected. The canal treatment allows preservation of the natural tooth rather than to extract it and to replace it by an artificial tooth. By keeping your natural tooth, you prevent the other teeth from moving and causing harm to other teeth and to the jaw.
What is a root canal therapy?
The different steps consist of:
Removal of the infected nerve from the tooth
Disinfect and sterilize the root canals
Sealing the sterile canal by using an inert filling material. Normally, the root canal treatment is not painful. The procedure may require one to two visits and is performed under local anesthesia.
Why is the dental crown the recommended treatment after a root canal?
When the “living” part of the tooth (the nerve) is removed as a result of the root canal treatment, the tooth finds itself in most cases inevitably weakened. The risk of fracture is considerable and can occur at any time. If this were to happen, an extraction might have to be considered, or even inevitable.
To avoid this kind of unpleasant situation, the dental crown remains the best solution to protect and preserve the dental structure.