Root Canal
Root canal treatment, also referred to as root canal therapy or endodontic therapy, is used to avoid extraction, or save an infected or damaged toot. A root canal becomes necessary when a neglected cavity reaches all the way to the pulp at the center of the tooth and becomes infected. Regular cleanings and checkups at Complete Comfort Dental detect and prevent problems early on. Trauma can also cause the nerve of a tooth to be deeply damaged. Once this occurs, the pulp becomes infected, even extending through the root tip, and it begins to eat away at the surrounding bone (this is called an abscess). By the time the pulp is infected it must be treated and cannot heal on its own, often weakening the immune system and making it very painful and dangerous. Symptoms of infected pulp may include sensitivity to hot/cold or sweets, pain, swelling, pain with biting or pressure, and a bad taste in the mouth. Sometimes, however, there are no symptoms, and you are unaware of any problem until a checkup.
A root canal is performed to clean out the infected tooth pulp and disinfect the canals of the tooth. The only other treatment would be to extract the tooth. Once the infection is resolved, the canal(s) is filled to prevent any further infection. Dr. Salud usually recommends crowns to cover and restore a tooth after root canal therapy.