Bogota Dental Center
85 East Main Street
Bogota, NJ 07603
888-505-1145

Root Canal

A root canal is needed when a tooth has become badly decayed or infected. During the procedure, the nerve and pulp of the tooth are removed and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed. Tissue around the infected tooth can cause an abscess to form if sufferers do not get proper treatment.

The natural cavity in the center of your are known as the root canals. The soft area of the root canal is called the pulp or pulp chamber. The nerve of the tooth is inside the root canal. The tooth's nerve is not vital to the health and function of the tooth. The nerves of your teeth only serve as sensory nerves to determine hot from cold. The absence of the nerve does not affect the function of your teeth or gums.

Symptoms

• Prolonged sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures (continues after hot or cold has been removed)
• Severe toothache, especially when chewing or applying pressure
• Tooth discoloration and tooth darkening
• Swelling of the gums, tenderness and inflammation
• Persistent or recurring pimples on the gums

The Procedure

People often think having a root canal means getting a canal drilled into the teeth so the nerve can be extracted. That is not the case. Your teeth naturally house between one and three root canals. Each canal is filled with tissue, or pulp. The pulp of the tooth can become decayed and infected. To keep your teeth from becoming decayed and reducing your risk of infection or abscess formation, a root canal is required.

The procedure my require more than one office visit to your dentist. Root canals can also be performed by an endodontist. Endodontists specialize in diagnosing what causes diseases and injuries to dental pulp or the nerves of the teeth. They work to find alternative treatment options for damaged root canals.

Treatment is dependent on your individual case. Your dentist will first X-ray your teeth to see the shape of your root canals and locate the infection. Local anesthesia is applied to the area to numb the gums surrounding the infected tooth. An access hole is drilled into the tooth and the infected pulp and decayed nerve are removed. Your dentist will clean the root canal by scraping the inside of the tooth with a series of files. Files remove bacteria and other debris from inside the canal. Your dentist may give you medication to heal the infection. You can return to your dentist to have the root canal sealed once the infection has healed.