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This term may not be familiar to you, but it concerns a special dental treatment you may need some day. It refers to saving a dying tooth through root canal therapy. In the past the thought of a root canal has been a scary scenario, but times have changed!

Today it is one of the most common dental procedures with millions successfully performed each year.

Let’s discuss exactly what endodontics is and why your dentist might recommend this treatment.

Definition Of Endodontics

Endodontics refers to the part of dentistry concerning the dental pulp and the tissues surrounding the root of a tooth. It comes from the Greek words “endo” meaning inside, and “odont” meaning tooth.

Pulp is contained on the inside of each tooth. It is living tissue, which contains nerves and blood vessels that keep the tooth healthy and alive. If the pulp becomes injured, it cannot repair itself and the tissue dies.

An endodontic treatment or root canal therapy treats the soft pulp tissue inside a tooth. Each tooth has empty canal spaces and pulp chambers that can become inflamed or infected, causing pain. When this occurs, the bacteria in the chambers must be cleaned out, sterilized and then filled with a special polymer in order to save the tooth.

Reasons For An Endodontic Treatment

Since millions of endodontic treatments are performed each year, you may wonder about the causes of root canal therapy. There are several:

• If a tooth has deep decay, it may require a root canal treatment to remove it.
• If several procedures have been performed on the same tooth, the only other recourse may be endodontics.
• A trauma to a tooth can lead to inflammation. Such traumas include a broken or cracked tooth, which damages the pulp.
• Gum disease may lead to a root canal problem, necessitating an endodontic treatment.
• Inflammation and infection in a tooth requires a root canal to decontaminate the pulp.

Never ignore tooth pain, as it normally indicates some issue. Injury to the pulp makes the tooth extremely sensitive to hot or cold food and drinks. If the pulp dies from an untreated infection or inflammation, patients can experience severe chronic pain.

Often a crown is fitted after endodontic therapy making the treatment even more permanent. The doctors at Oakville Place Dental Office are experienced in both endodontics and restorative cosmetic procedures like fitting a crown.

Save Your Teeth

Seek the care of a dental professional when you have pain. Procrastinating can result in the loss of your teeth.

Contact Oakville Place Dental Office today and let us determine the
root cause of your pain.