Root Canals
Root canals involve numbing the affected tooth, making an entry access in the crown of the tooth to the pulp chamber, removing the infected or unhealthy pulp material, shaping the canals for the filling material, filling the canals with permanent filling material to prevent further infection or contamination, and rebuilding the tooth (often with a crown).
Root canals are performed when:
- There is decay reaching the tooth pulp (the living tissue inside the tooth).
- The tooth or root tip have developed an infection or abscess.
- The tooth has been subjected to injury or trauma.
Extractions
Sometimes a tooth is beyond repair. In these cases, tooth extraction can help to sustain and preserve the health of your gums and bone. Causes for extraction can be periodontal disease, unsuccessful root canal, or extensive tooth decay.