Inside each tooth, under the white enamel and a hard layer called dentin, is soft pulp. The pulp contains blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue. Endodontics is the area of dentistry that deals with this tooth interior for the purposes of preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases and injuries to it. If you need to see a Natomas, Sacramento Endodontist, Serenity Dental can help.
The pulp is contained in a canal, which is a thin, tube-like space extending from the crown of the tooth to the tip of its root within the jawbone. Here the pulp connects to the tissues surrounding the root. While a tooth is growing, the pulp is crucial for proper and healthy development.
Pulp infection
Tooth decay can progress down into the pulp. When this happens, the pulp can become infected. Infection of the pulp can be very painful and can also deteriorate into an abscessed tooth when infection and swelling develops in the tissues around or beneath the tooth. When the pulp becomes infected or the tooth becomes abscessed, it is necessary to perform a root canal.
Root canal
A root canal treatment is done when decay will likely damage or has already killed a tooth. During a root canal, a dentist or endodontist removes the pulp from the center of a tooth and fills the pulp cavity. This can prevent the development of a painful infection in the pulp and keep it from spreading to other teeth. A root canal procedure will stop the infection and permit the tooth to heal.
A root canal procedure consists of the following steps:
Alternative treatment
Typically, endodontic therapy is a relatively simple procedure done in one or two visits. It can save your diseased or injured tooth with little or no discomfort. The only alternative to endodontic therapy is to extract the infected, diseased or injured tooth. If the infected tooth must be removed, Dental Implants are an option for maintaining dental aesthetics.
An infected tooth is a serious condition and must be treated promptly to avoid tooth loss and the spreading of infection to other teeth. If you are concerned about an infected or abscessed tooth, we urge you to call Serenity Dental promptly.
Call us at (916) 285-9400
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