Procedures
Root canal therapy
Root canal therapy removes the damaged or infected pulp from inside a tooth, cleans the space, and seals it. It is meant to save the tooth.
Root canals are used to repair and save your tooth instead of removing it. In root canal therapy, a dentist removes the tooth's nerve from inside the tooth and from the areas in the root, known as the root canals. The dentist then cleans inside the tooth and each root canal.
The tooth pulp is made up of nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue. When it is dead or infected, it is removed with small tools called files. The canals are cleaned, then filled with a material. A final crown may be placed on top.
A root canal treatment usually takes 1 or 2 office visits to complete. Ask your dentist what to expect. Our office describes this on its root canal page. See also gutta-percha.