Dental Benefit, Root Canal Treatment
A root canal is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or becomes infected. Root canal treatment, also known as endodontic therapy, is probably the most maligned of all dental procedures, but the reputation of pain typically associated with “having a root canal” is really not deserved. Today, root canal treatment has given dentists a safe way of saving teeth.
Left without treatment, pus builds up at the root tip, in the jawbone, forming a “pus-pocket” called an abscess. Without treatment, your tooth may have to be removed. During treatment, your general dentist or endodontist (a dentist who specializes in problems of the pulp) removes the diseased pulp. If an endodontist performs the treatment, he or she will recommend that you return to your family dentist for this final step. The treatment can readily be done using modern local anesthetic techniques with little or no discomfort.