Lonsdale Place Dental – North Vancouver
Root canal is a treatment to save badly damaged or infected teeth instead of removing it. The term “root canal” comes from cleaning of the canals inside a tooth’s root. Teeth have a soft core called dental pulp.The pulp contains nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue.
When a tooth is broken or has a deep cavity, bacteria can enter the pulp. Bacteria in pulp can cause a serious infection or a tooth abscess, leading to pulp death, bone loss and loss of the tooth itself.
Root canal treatment usually takes one or two visits. The tooth receives a local anesthetic to control pain. After the diseased pulp is removed, the canals are shaped; a sealer paste and rubber compound is used to fill the tooth, followed by dental filling. In most cases a crown is required to protect the tooth.
Root canal treatment can save the tooth from having to be pulled out.