Root Canals or Endodontics
A treatment to save your tooth.
"Endo" is the Greek word for "inside" and "odont" is Greek for "tooth." Endodontic treatment treats the inside of the tooth. "Root canal" is the term used to describe the natural cavity within the center of the tooth. The pulp or pulp chamber is the soft area within the root canal. The tooth's nerve lies within the root canal. We will refer to it as a "root canal"
A root canal is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or becomes infected. During a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp are removed and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed. Without treatment, the tissue surrounding the tooth will become infected and abscesses may form.
Signs to look for include pain, prolonged sensitivity to heat or cold, tenderness to touch and chewing, discoloration of the tooth, and swelling, drainage and tenderness in the lymph nodes as well as nearby bone and gingival tissues. Sometimes, however, there are no symptoms.
The Procedure
The inflamed or infected pulp is carefully removed from the tooth chamber, the channel inside the tooth. Dr. Meyer then fills the chamber and seals the space. In approximately 2–6 weeks following the root canal procedure, the patient will return to our office to have a permanent crown placed in order to protect and restore the tooth to full function.