If you have a severely damaged, decaying tooth or a serious tooth infection ( abscess ), your dentist may recommend a root canal treatment. Root canals are used to repair and save your tooth instead of removing it.  What’s Involved in Root Canal Repair? The pulp is soft tissue inside your tooth that contains nerves, blood vessels and provides nourishment for your tooth. It can become infected if you have:  A deep cavity Repeated dental procedures that disturb this tissue A cracked or fractured tooth Injury to the tooth (even if there’s not a visible crack or chip) If untreated, the tissues around the root of your tooth can become infected. When this happens, you will often feel pain and swelling and an abscess may form inside the tooth and/or in the bone around the end of the root of the tooth. An infection can also put you at risk of losing your tooth completely because bacteria can damage the bone that keeps your tooth connected to your jaw. Can I Get This ...

Learn more about the treatment for abscessed teeth. The above video is found on the American Dental Association YouTube Channel. Vista Dental Care      Chad Aitken, DMD 280-5201 43 St. Red Deer, AB T4N 1C7 (855) 636-9223    VistaDentalCare.ca

Learn what the American Dental Association has to say about the treatment of abscessed teeth. The above video is found on the American Dental Association YouTube Channel. Vista Dental Care      Chad Aitken, DMD 280-5201 43 St. Red Deer, AB T4N 1C7 (855) 636-9223    VistaDentalCare.ca

Saving Hopeless Teeth In the past, teeth with roots that had been damaged or severely infected used to require extraction, because a simple filling was an insufficient restoration. Missing teeth can create problems with your dental occlusion (bite) and should be averted whenever possible. The good news is that Dr. Aitken is able to offer root canal therapy. A root canal is a method of saving a tooth by excavating the pulp chamber of the tooth and replacing it with a filling material. When dentists first began performing root canals, the process involved extensive drilling, took considerable time, and often lacked the appropriate amount of numbing. As a result, the root canal received a reputation as something to be avoided. However, with modern anaesthetics and technology, root canals are often manageable. Vista Dental Care      Chad Aitken, DMD 280-5201 43 St. Red Deer, AB T4N 1C7 (855) 636-9223    VistaDentalCare.ca

If you have been experiencing problems with a tooth, you may wonder, "Do I need a root canal?" Root canals, also known as endodontic therapy, are performed when the nerve or pulp of the tooth becomes infected and inflammed due to dental decay, a cracked or broken tooth or an injury to the tooth, according to the American Dental Association. During the procedure, a dentist uses a drill to remove both the nerve and pulp and seals up the tooth to protect against further damage. Only your dentist or a dental specialist called an endodontist, can determine whether a root canal will adequately treat your problem. Here are a few possible symptoms of the need for a root canal and some steps for dealing with them. General Possible Symptoms The most common symptom that may indicate the need for a root canal is tooth pain, according to the American Association of Endodontists. The intensity of the pain can range from mild to severe; it may lessen or intensify throughout the day, or ...

Below is an excerpt from an article found on MouthHealthy.org . Root canal treatment is necessary when the pulp (soft tissue inside your teeth containing blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue) becomes inflamed or diseased. During root canal treatment, your dentist or endodontist (a dentist who specializes in treating the insides of teeth) removes the diseased pulp. The pulp chamber and root canal(s) of the tooth are then cleaned and sealed. If the infected pulp is not removed, pain and swelling can result, and your tooth may have to be removed. Causes of an infected pulp could include: a deep cavity repeated dental procedures a cracked or broken tooth injury to the tooth (even if thereís not a visible crack or chip) If you continue to care for your teeth and gums your restored tooth could last a lifetime. However, regular checkups are necessary; a tooth without its nerve can still develop cavities or gum disease. Most of the time, a root canal is a relatively simple ...