If you have been diagnosed as needing a root canal, it is important that you make your decision whether or not to move forward. If you do nothing, the injured nerve in the center of your tooth is likely to become infected. If that happens, the tooth may abscess and cause a great deal of pain. At which time you will be forced to make a decision of having a root canal or having the tooth removed. If you opt to have it remove, then the question arises of how to restore function in that area (implant, bridge or partial).
Having a root canal done in a timely fashion rather than waiting until it hurts is more sensible, not mention less less painful and in many cases, less costly. The procedure entails creating a small opening in the tooth and cleaning out the inside of the tooth's root to get rid of the damaged or infected nerve. Once the tooth is completely clean, we fill it with a natural substance, "gutta percha" and seat it.
At this stage the tooth is "non-vital," which means it no longer has nerves but is still a vital part of dental anatomy. The procedure is complete when we then prepare the tooth and take impressions for a crown. This permanent restoration is then placed to protect the tooth.
