Root Canal Treatment

The term "root canal" comes from cleaning the canals inside a tooth's root. Decades ago, root canal treatments often were painful. With dental advances and local anesthetics, most people have slight pain with a root canal. It's probably more painful living with a decayed tooth. Root canal alternatives include extracting the damaged tooth and replacing it with a dental implant, bridge, or removable partial denture.

The root canal usually takes one or two visits, but sometimes additional visits are required because some teeth prove difficult to treat. First, you have dental X-rays to check the extent of the damage. You also receive a local anesthetic to control pain, which may be more severe if the tooth is abscessed. Then a rubber-like sheet called a dental dam is put in your mouth to keep the tooth clean, protected, and free of saliva. Decay is removed, and an opening is made through the tooth's crown to gain access to the pulp chamber.