Endodontic (Root Canal) Therapy
Endodontic, or root canal therapy is a common treatment, recommended to alleviate a variety of symptoms, including:
- A tooth that hurts significantly when you bite down on it, touch it or push on it
- Sensitivity to heat
- Sensitivity to cold that lasts longer than a couple of seconds
- Swelling near the affected tooth
- A discolored tooth, with or without pain
An untreated cavity can be a common cause of a pulp infection, resulting in the need for a root canal. A cavity can erode the enamel and dentin of the tooth until the decay reaches the center of the tooth, which contains pulp tissue. Once the pulp becomes infected, the infection can travel down the root of the tooth and affect the bone around the tooth, causing an abscess to form. The goal of endodontic therapy is to save the tooth by removing the infected or damaged pulp and filling the empty canals with an inert material called gutta percha. If root canal treatment is not completed, the tooth may have to be extracted.
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