Root Canal

A root canal is the cleaning out the inside nerve of a tooth and replacing it with a material that seals the inside of the root so infection cannot get back in.

A root canal treatment first removes bacteria, nerve tissue, the organic debris left over from the breakdown of nerve tissue, and bacterial toxins out from within the inner aspects of a tooth (the area originally occupied by the tooth’s nerve tissue).

All of these items either are or will produce the tissue irritants that can cause your body to activate an inflammatory reaction. Once this space has been cleansed, root canal treatment involves filling in and sealing off the interior of the tooth, so bacteria can’t get back in.

Root canal treatment has three main purposes:

• stop the toothache
• prevent bacteria and pain from spreading into the jaw
• maintain the original tooth instead of replacing it with a denture or bridge