Root Canal Treatment
The dental pulp is the innermost part of the tooth. It is housed inside the hard chamber of the tooth which is composed of enamel and dentine. The dental pulp has a rich supply of blood vessels and nerves. The pulp is found all through the tooth and the space where the pulp sits in the root is called the root canal.
“Root canal” refers to the natural cavity within the center of the tooth. The nerves of a tooth lie within what is called root canals, which run from the tip of a tooth’s root all the way into the pulp chamber, located near the top of the tooth. If the pulp becomes inflamed, a root canal treatment might be necessary. In a root canal treatment, the nerves and pulp are removed, tooth is cleaned and sealed. A root canal treatment replaces damaged or infected pulp in the tooth’s root canal, with a filling.
Common symptoms that indicate you need a root canal:
- Toothache while chewing, or serious toothache while putting pressure on the tooth.
- Tenderness or swelling of the gum area surrounding the affected tooth.
- An abscess or lesion formed on the gum area surrounding the tooth, similar to a small pimple or blister
- Extreme sensitivity or pain in your tooth when exposed to either hot or cold food/drink that lasts beyond the removal of the hot or cold food/drink
- Darkening or discoloration of the tooth.
