Treating Tooth Decay

Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy, also known as endodontic therapy, is a dental procedure used to treat tooth decay and infection of the nerve of the tooth. If the infection is not treated it can eventually spread to other parts of your body.

There are many reasons why root canal treatment is necessary. In some cases, a small fracture in one of the teeth may occur, which leads to an infection inside the tooth structure. Other times, bacteria can penetrate through a cavity and remain inside the dentin layer which underlies enamel in your teeth.

Root canal therapy treatment involves removing the nerve and all infected tissue from inside the tooth in order to save the tooth. The nerve tissue is replaced with filling material.

After root canal therapy, your tooth has lost all its vital tissues (nerve, blood supply) which makes the tooth very brittle. It is advised to place a full occlusal coverage restoration on these teeth to strengthen them.