Materials
Gutta-percha
Gutta-percha is a rubber-like material made from tree sap that dentists use to fill and seal the inside of a tooth after a root canal.
During a root canal, a dentist cleans out the inside of the tooth and shapes the canals. The empty space must then be filled so germs cannot return. Gutta-percha is the usual filling. It comes from the sap of a tropical tree and is made into thin cones. The dentist places the cones in the canal with a sealer, often warming the material so it fills the space fully. A review in the NIH library notes that its structure is close to that of natural rubber. After the filling, the tooth needs a crown or other final restoration. Read about root canal therapy and tooth pulp, or see our root canal page.