ROOT CANALS

The nerves and vessels of teeth occasionally get irritated and can die and become infected within your tooth. A special dental procedure called root canal therapy can help you save the infected tooth. Inside each tooth is the pulp which provides nutrients and nerves to the tooth; it runs like a thread down through the root. When the pulp is diseased or injured, the pulp tissue often dies. If you do not remove it, the tooth and the bone around it can get infected and you could lose that tooth if not treated quickly.

Root canal therapy includes removing and cleaning out the diseased tissue within the tooth but, against many people’s beliefs, does not include removing the root itself. After the therapy is completed, a crown is often placed on top of the tooth to reinforce it and help maintain it.

In advanced cases, it may be necessary to refer the patient to an endodontist (a root canal specialist) to have the root canal performed. We are fortunate to have some of the country’s leading endodontists in Charlotte and they will make sure you are treated just as well there as you are in our office!

Occasionally a root canal may take more than one visit to complete, depending on the severity of the infection. The best part of having a root canal is that you are able to save your natural tooth and, very often, patients are able to maintain that tooth, if cared for properly, for the rest of their lives!