Root Canal Treatment
What is root canal treatment?
Root canal treatment is a process in which the infected or dead nerve of a severely decayed tooth is removed in order to prevent infection from spreading.
Inside each tooth is the pulp which provides the tooth with nerves and nutrients from blood vessels. Damage and disease from bacterial penetration of deep decay (or a deep fracture) can cause the pulp to become infected and die. Once the nerve has died, the pulp has to be removed, the root canals inside the tooth (that housed the original pulp) are cleaned and sealed for future long term tooth stability. A crown is commonly fitted over the tooth to reestablish the tooth’s strength and prevent the risk of the weakened tooth from fracturing under normal chewing loads.
What happens if I delay having root canal treatment?
If an infected tooth is left untreated, this can cause a number of complications including:
- An abscess forming internally in the tooth leading to pain.
- Infection spreading into the bloodstream which can cause fever, illness, or swelling of the face and neck with potential breathing issues. This can be a life-threatening situation.
- Deterioration of the bone at the top of the tooth due to the spread of the infection.
- Tooth loss in severe cases, where the invading decay and internal nerve infection has weakened the tooth to the point of tooth fracture in the root structure.