Eastboro Dental | Comprehensive Oral Health Care in Orleans
Root Canal Treatment
Root Canal Treatment
Root canal treatment is a common dental procedure used to treat infections in the pulp (inner tissue) of a tooth. The goal of this treatment is to relieve pain, eliminate infection, and preserve your natural tooth whenever possible.
Root canal procedures are safely and effectively performed as part of general dentistry and are a routine treatment offered in many dental clinics across Canada.
What Are Endodontic Procedures?
Endodontic procedures focus on treating infections and conditions affecting the inside of the tooth, including the pulp and root canals. The most common endodontic procedure is a root canal, though surgical treatments may occasionally be required in more complex cases.
The term endodontics comes from the Greek words “endo” (inside) and “odons” (tooth), referring to care provided to the inner structures of the tooth.
Root Canal Treatment
A root canal is a non-surgical procedure in which infected or damaged pulp is carefully removed from inside the tooth. The interior of the tooth is then cleaned, disinfected, and sealed, while preserving the tooth’s natural outer structure.
Root canal treatments are widely used, highly effective, and help prevent the need for tooth extraction. In most cases, a single root canal treatment is sufficient to resolve the infection and restore the tooth’s function and comfort.
Endodontic surgeries are less common than root canals but may be necessary in cases when a root canal will not be enough to save the tooth. It can also help an endodontist explore the inside of the tooth more thoroughly, potentially finding canals or calcium deposits within canals that were not picked up by x-rays.
There are several types of endodontic surgeries, including tooth sectioning, root amputation, and apicoectomies. Your endodontist will recommend a surgical plan that is based on your specific needs.
For example, endodontic retreatment surgery may be necessary if a tooth has developed new issues or if the original treatment did not work as intended. An apicoectomy (also known as root end surgery) is a surgical approach an endodontist may take if an infection has continued to spread after a root canal. In an apicoectomy, the very tip of the root is removed and filled in.
Endodontists may also be part of a dental care team when there are injuries that affect the pulp of the teeth, when there are root defects, or when there is unexplained tooth pain that a general dentist has been unable to diagnose or treat. For example, when a tooth has become abscessed, it may require more specialized endodontic treatments.
General dentists can also perform root canals. However, your general dentist may refer you to an endodontist when you need a complex or difficult root canal. You will also be referred to an endodontist for endodontic surgical procedures.
Endodontists are dentists that have completed two or more years of advanced training to become recognized under the specialty. Additionally, endodontists must limit their practices to endodontics. In other words, an endodontist works solely on diagnosis and procedures dealing with the tooth pulp, such as root canals and endodontic surgeries.
Endodontists are also required to stay up to date on their education with additional training and continuous learning.
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3732 Innes Road, Unit 1
Orleans, ON K1W 0C8
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(613) 841-6100