Dr. Katelyn Fenlon is a general dentist at Princess Center Dentistry in Scottsdale Arizona and today she is answering the question, how do dentists do a root canal?
A root canal is necessary for a variety of reasons but ultimately your dentist will recommend a root canal if they have diagnosed the nerve of that tooth to be dead or dying.
What Causes Nerves to Die?
Lots of different things can cause the nerve of a tooth to die. Sometimes it can be completely random and not caused by anything. There are three reasons known that can cause nerve damage:
- Large cavity: If a cavity is really big and goes into the nerve space
- Broken tooth: If you break a tooth, and the tooth is broken so deep that it’s into the nerve space
- Micro crack: If there’s a little micro crack that extends from the exterior of the teeth into the nerve space
How is a Root Canal Done?
A root canal is is done in in four steps:
- Numb: The tooth is numbed
- Remove: Safely the infected nerve tissue from inside the tooth is removed
- Disinfect: Everything is disinfected
- Crown:The tooth is filled back up and finished with a crown
Sometimes your general dentist will do over canal. Sometimes an endodontist, a root canal specialist will do the root canal but your general dentist will always do the final restoration putting the crown on top of the tooth.
]After all that is done you’re no longer in pain. The tooth is no longer infected, and the crown after the canal helps make the tooth strong and resistant to fracturing in the future.
Got a question? Ask our dentist, Dr. Fenlon! Or leave it in a comment below.