Root Canal Treatment
People most often associate three common treatments with the dentist: cleanings, fillings, and root canals. Just reading those last words may make you shudder. Many people have the perception that root canal therapy is highly unpleasant, even painful. The truth is that root canal treatment, or endodontic treatment, is actually similar to having a tooth filled. At Muswell Hill Smile, your dentist lets you know that root canal treatment is nothing to fear.
Root Canal Therapy is performed in order to save a tooth that has a damaged nerve pulp due to decay or trauma.
Root canals and their associated pulp chamber are the physical hollows within a tooth that are naturally inhabited by nerve tissue, blood vessels and other cellular entities. During a Root Canal procedure these structures are removed, the hollows are cleaned and decontaminated using tiny files and irrigation solutions and lastly, shaped and prepared for dental fillings
Root canal therapy is a simple procedure that is performed after local anesthetic has been administered to numb the area. A rubber dam is placed around the tooth to isolate it, keeping it protected from saliva. Using small tools made for this procedure; the dentist creates an opening to the pulp chamber and removes damaged tissue. The canal is then cleaned to remove any debris, sterilized to inhibit bacteria, and sealed.
After the completion of this initial procedure, the tooth will be covered with a temporary crown. A model of the prepared tooth is sent to a dental lab, where a durable, natural looking dental crown will be made. In a subsequent visit, a permanent crown will be placed. The restoration of a tooth with root canal therapy and a customized dental crown eliminates pain and serves your functional and aesthetic needs for years.
