Endodontics (root canals)

"Root canal" is the term used to describe the natural cavity within the center of the tooth. The pulp or pulp chamber is the soft area within the root canal. The tooth's nerve lies within the root canal.

A root canal is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or fractured and becomes infected. Symptoms of an infected tooth include: Spontaneous tooth pain, sharp lingering pain caused by cold or hot liquids, constant throbbing pain, or sometimes there are no symptoms at all. Swelling may also occur if the infection becomes severe enough.

Root canals are usually not painful as they have been perceived. A root canal is just like a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp are removed and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and comparable to getting a filling, except it takes a little longer. Once the tooth is "numbed", the decay is removed and the pulp chamber is cleaned out and disinfected to remove the infection. The cleaned root canal is then sealed with a filling material. Once that is done, the tooth must be restored with either a filling or a crown.