What Is Root Canal Treatment?

Root canal treatment is a dental procedure that is required when the nerve inside the tooth becomes diseased and is not able to recover from the condition. A tooth, like any other part of the body, is a living thing. There are nerves going inside the tooth, and in a situation where the nerves contract an infection or decay, it requires treatment to disinfect the root canal.

During the root canal procedure, the dentist will remove the internal material from the canal, which is primarily the pulp chamber. This infected material is taken out and the canal is sterilized to make it completely free of infection. Thereafter, the cavity that has been created inside the tooth is filled up with an appropriate bio compatible material.

The damage to the inner nerves of the tooth may also be caused due to an injury or hard impact on the tooth. In all such situations, the dentist will determine whether it is necessary to perform the root canal treatment to save the tooth structure from further infection.

The root canal treatment may be performed by any dentist, though it is always preferable to choose a root canal specialist or an endodontist who is a recognized expert in this procedure. Root canal treatment is considered to be a minimally invasive procedure. The goal of this treatment is to preserve the original tooth structure as far as possible.

If a nerve infection or injury inside the tooth is left untreated, the infection is likely to spread to the entire tooth structure, and eventually cause damage to the neighboring teeth as well. In extreme cases, the entire tooth may be lost to infection. Therefore, the timely intervention with a root canal treatment can save the tooth structure from getting completely damaged.

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