Hillview Family Dentistry

When a tooth becomes infected it is usually related to the nerves in the root of the tooth. The infected nerves need to be removed and a root canal does just that. If left untreated an infection can turn into an abscess, which is a much more serious problem that includes bone loss in the jaw. The area around the tooth is numbed with a local anesthetic to start the procedure. The dentist will then enter the tooth and remove the infected nerve and replace it with an anti-bacterial material call gutta percha. It is highly recommended that a tooth that has undergone a root canal be fitted with a crown. This will improve the appearance of the tooth, and will also make it much more likely that the root canal is successful.