Root Canal Treatments

Our teeth are made up of 3 layers – enamel (hardest substance in the human body), dentin, and a soft pulp which contains all the blood vessels and nerve fibers. Dental decay or caries is an infection of the tooth with bacteria that invade the tooth from the outside –in, starting from the enamel, followed by dentin and then the pulp. That is why it is best to catch the decay early and remove it, replacing it with a tooth colored filling material. If this is not done in time, the decay will progress to the dentin and then the pulp. As the pulp is soft, as soon as it is infected the decay spreads all around the pulp and even to the bottom of the tooth, sometimes causing excruciating pain and abscesses. In such cases, emergency root canal or endodontic therapy is needed to provide instant relief to patients. In root canal therapy, the infected pulp is removed and the chamber is thoroughly cleaned, followed by filling it with an inert rubber like material called gutta percha. It is highly recommended to follow a root canal with a crown (root canals remove the infection and save the tooth, but make them more prone to fracture if not crowned in time).