Root canal treatments are certainly not the only procedures that make up the field of endodontics. Root canals are the most common procedure performed within the field, but there’s a lot more possibilities to consider. For example, your endodontist may regularly:
- Diagnose and treat a variety of oral pain sources located in the periapical and/or pupal areas of the teeth;
- Provide vital pulp therapies including pulpotomy, pulp capping and more;
- Provide non-surgical root canal treatments;
- Filling root canals with 3D fillers;
- Perform surgeries to remove bone pathology;
- Replanting teeth;
- Performing hemisections;
- and various other related tasks…
Crown vs. Pulp
While the crown of a tooth is the part above the gumline that you can physically see, the pulp is the living part of the tooth; the inner part that you cannot see. The pulp is comprised of things like connective tissues, nerves and vessels for blood flow. The pulp is the part of a tooth that is “alive”.
Root Canal Treatment
In overview, endodontics is a dentistry branch that addresses dental pulp diseases and disorders. Stated previously, the root canal treatment is the most common endodontic procedure. When a tooth has decayed past the point where a filling is not applicable, or when traumatic damage has been sustained to a tooth, root canal treatments are commonly necessitated. Having a root canal treatment performed can give your tooth a second chance at longevity.
In a nutshell, performing a successful root canal treatment involves:
1. Using a local anesthetic (this procedure is painless to the patient);
2. Drilling a small entry hole into the tooth’s pulp area;
3. Removing any diseased or infected tissue from inside the tooth;
4. Cleaning and filling the inside of the tooth with 3D dental filling;
5. Hermetic sealing and capping the tooth on the outside;
Early warning signs that you may soon need a root canal treatment include sensitivity to cold and hot beverages & foods, as well as swelling and/or pain in the gums and/or face around the tooth. If you think you may be a candidate for a root canal, and want to save your tooth from possibly having to be extracted, then you need to schedule an examination with your dentist. X-rays will determine whether or not an endodontic root