Your Dentist can Help?

Your dentist can assess the extent of damage by a comprehensive dental examination. Your dentist takes a dental history, examines your teeth and gums, and x-rays your teeth to examine the underlying roots and bone.

Your dentist will begin by asking if you have any symptoms such as throbbing, aching, or pain when you chew. You may be asked about previous dental work or injury to your teeth and any medical conditions you may have.

After your history is taken, your dentist will examine your teeth - looking for cavities, assessing the condition of any fillings you already have, check to see if your teeth are sensitive to hot or cold, check for loose teeth, tap on your teeth to check for pain, and evaluate the condition of your gums.

X-rays allow your dentist to see the inside of your teeth and the surrounding bone. With an x-ray, your dentist can detect any unhealthy changes in your teeth or bone, irrespective of whether they are causing any symptoms or not.

A Healthy Tooth

Your tooth has two basic parts: the crown is the part you see above the gum, and the roots anchor your tooth to your jawbone. Inside the crown and roots is soft tissue (pulp) that helps keep your tooth nourished.

Crown: An outer enamel layer and the dentin inside protect the tooth's underlying structures and prevent bacteria from entering the tooth.

Unhealthy Tooth

Bacteria can invade your tooth through a loose filling, a cavity, or a crack. Your pulp becomes infected as it is attacked by bacteria. Eventually, the bacteria may destroy the pulp. The inflammation and infection spread down the root canal, often causing sensitivity to hot or cold foods, throbbing, aching, or pain when you chew. This may lead to the bone getting infected as the bacteria escape through the root openings. The bone breaks down, and your ligament surrounding the root may swell and loosen the tooth.

Root Canal Therapy

The goal of root canal therapy is to improve the health of your damaged tooth. During treatment, the pulp is removed from your root canals through a small opening in the crown. Then the canals are cleaned and disinfected. The adjoining diagram shows an instrument being used to clean the canal.

The canals are then sealed with an inert material that occupies the space vacated by the removal of the pulp.

After the inside of your tooth has been treated, the outside will be restored to protect your tooth's underlying structures and to bring the tooth back into function. Your dentist will usually cover the tooth with a ceramic or metal crown. After root canal therapy, your tooth continues to be nourished by the surrounding gums and bone.