Root canal treatment, also known as endodontic
therapy, is probably the most maligned of all dental procedures,
but the reputation of pain typically associated with "having
a root canal" is really not deserved. The majority of
people who have undergone root canal treatment typically report
that the process itself is no more involved than having a
filling placed.
Root canal therapy refers to the treatment
of the inner aspects of a tooth, specifically that area inside
a tooth originally occupied by the tooth's "pulp tissue".
Once upon a time, if you had a tooth with a diseased nerve,
you'd probably lose that tooth. Today, with a special dental
procedure called a root canal therapy you may save that tooth.
Inside each tooth is the pulp which provides nutrients and
nerves to the tooth, it runs like a thread down through the
root. When the pulp is diseased or injured, the pulp tissue
dies. If you don't remove it, your tooth gets infected and
you could lose it.
After the dentist removes the pulp, the
root canal is cleaned and sealed off to protect it. Then your
dentist places a crown over the tooth to help make it stronger.
Most people would probably refer to a tooth's
pulp tissue as its "nerve". While a tooth's pulp
tissue does contain nerve fibers it is also composed of arteries,
veins, lymph vessels, and connective tissue.
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