What is root canal therapy?
The hollow inside part of the tooth is called the root canal. This area contains all the soft tissue, nerves and blood vessels that formed the tooth. These root canal tissues can become infected by bacteria from deep areas of decay or cracks in the tooth. These infections can be both painful and harmful to your health if left.
A root canal therapy is performed to remove infection from the inside of the tooth. The root canal therapy process has two parts:
- The canal is cleaned and shaped with fine flexible cleaning files. During this process the canals are flushed with various antibacterial cleaning agents and dressed with an antibacterial dressing for a few weeks to make sure that the canals are clean and the infection has gone. This process is performed under rubber dam isolation to ensure sterility of the root canal once it has been cleaned. A double sealed temporary filling is then placed to protect the tooth while the antibacterial agent works.
- A few weeks after the cleaning appointment, if the tooth is asymptomatic, we will then fill the canal with a rubberised root filling material called gutta percha. Once this is done, a final restoration or crown can be placed on the tooth to strengthen it.