Root Canals / Endodontics
Your own natural tooth is meant to last a lifetime. Even if your tooth becomes infected or injured it can be saved with root canal treatment (endodontics). And with proper support your root canal treated tooth can last just as long as if it had never been damaged in the first place.
Endodontic Therapy is the term describing the treatment to remove infection from the inside of the root of the tooth.
Once the infection is removed, the space is filled with materials that seal off the root canal space, preventing any leakage and allowing the tooth and surrounding bone to heal in an infection free environment.
How do you know if you need a Root Canal?
You may need to have a root canal done if you are experiencing some of the following symptoms:
- Pain when you chew or bite
- Lingering sensitivity/pain to hot or cold temperatures
- Swelling
- A “bubble” on the gums that might appear and disappear
- Discoloration of the tooth
- Radiographic Evidence- if the bone around your tooth is deteriorating from an infection we can see it on x-ray. Sometimes the nerve of the tooth deteriorates because of an old sports or automobile injury and appears decades later- on x-ray.
Schedule an appointment with our Tewksbury root canal experts today!
During the Appointment
Current techniques have allowed us to reduce the number of appointments needed to complete root canal treatment (one appointment is the ‘new normal’). With proper administration of local anesthetics we are able to keep you as comfortable as if you were having a simple filling. So if you are looking for root canal treatment in the Greater Boston communities of Andover, Billerica, Chelmsford, and Wilmington, Massachusetts.
After the Root Canal
Once the infection has been successfully treated we almost always recommend that the tooth be protected with a crown. After all, an infected tooth has lost its blood supply and would become more brittle without the crown placed over it. Properly reinforced and protected we expect your root-canal treated tooth to function normally.
Parts of the Tooth
Your tooth has two basic parts: the crown is the part you see above the gum, and the roots which anchor your tooth to your jawbone. Inside the crown and roots is soft tissue (pulp) that brings nerves and a blood supply to the tooth to keep it healthy.
Crown
A healthy tooth has a layer of enamel covering a layer of dentin. Together they protect the underlying nerves and blood supply from bacterial infection.
Root
Inside the tooth the canals of the root house the pulp (blood supply and nerves) that nourishes the tooth. The blood vessels carry nutrients to the tooth, and the nerves give feeling to the tooth. The pulp tissue enters and exists through openings at the root tips.
