Here at Georgian Shores Dental Centre, we provide a comprehensive range of dental treatments to help you keep your teeth healthy. One of the many treatments we provide is root canals, and in this article, we will provide a brief overview of what this treatment is used for and how it works, so you can understand what to expect and why it is necessary.
- What are root canals used for? Root canals are used to treat diseased or decayed teeth, repairing them rather than removing them. The name comes from the way this treatment works: the inner canals inside the tooth’s root (the part inside your jaw and under your gums) are cleaned, and any infected tooth pulp is removed to prevent that decay from spreading further into the tooth. This treatment will both preserve the tooth in question and relieve the pain you have been feeling in that tooth.
- How do root canals work? In many ways, getting a root canal is similar to getting a dental filling. First, you will receive a local anesthetic to numb the affected area during the procedure. Once the anesthetic has gone to work, the dentist will create an opening in the crown of your tooth in order to access the infected pulp inside. Then, your dentist will use small dental tools to remove the diseased pulp. After all the pulp has been removed, the now-empty tooth will be flushed with water and dried thoroughly. Finally, a filling will be placed into the empty root canals, and a cement into the crown of the tooth, and then the crown will be filled to restore the surface of the tooth.