Root Canals

Root canal treatment is necessary when the pulp of a tooth has become infected by extensive decay or trauma. This procedure basically hollows the inside of a tooth, removing the nerve and small blood vessels of the pulp chamber.  Dental pain is alleviated almost immediately with a root canal treatment. The alternative to root canal therapy is an extraction, or loss of the tooth. Some cases may require elective root canal treatment, such as when a tooth has extensive decay or fractured off close to the gum line. An elective root canal treatment allows the dentist to anchor a post and core in the root canal space, giving the final restoration better resistance and retention form.