About Endodontic Therapy
Root Canal Treatment
Root canal treatment is needed when your tooth's pulp (nerve) is inflamed or infected. Some reasons of pulpal inflammation/infection include deep dental decay or trauma. It is often quite straightforward and the procedure is done to save your tooth (teeth). During root canal treatment, we will carefully remove the pulp inside the tooth, clean, disinfect and shape the root canals in order to place filling materials to seal the canal spaces. In a timely manner (typically sooner than one month), it is important to have your dentist place a final restoration so as to protect the root canal treatment and to prevent reinfection from occurring.
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Root Canal Retreatment
In certain circumstances, a tooth that has had root canal therapy can get reinfected (i.e. In cases where new decay forms underneath a crown or if trauma creates cracks where bacteria can enter and reinfect). In these cases, Re-Root canal therapy (Retreatment) is indicated. During retreatment, we will re-access your tooth and remove any filling materials that were placed in the root canals during the first procedure. We will then carefully examine the tooth, looking for additional canals or new infection. We will then remove any decay & infection, clean and shape the canals, and place new filling materials.
