Root Canals or Endodontics are an often misunderstood procedure in Dentistry. It often sends chills up a patients back just by mentioning the words. Most of that reaction isn’t the result of personal experience, but merely a bad experience someone else has conveyed to them. Even when it is the result of a personal experience, there are usually other mitigating factors that contributed to the difficulty.  That isn’t to say we don’t empathize with those emotions. Bad work or difficult circumstances are real and prevent people from seeking proper care. Most root canal procedures involve little to no discomfort and most post operative sensitivity can be managed with simple over the counter medications for the first 24 hours if needed at all.

If a tooth has become painful or has a fracture or defect involving the “nerve” or living tissue in the tooth, root canal therapy provides a means to relieve the discomfort and clean the tooth, thus preventing further damage and/or infection. Once the tooth is properly anesthetized careful attention and time is spent gently removing the damaged tissue, cleaning and sealing the internal portion of the tooth. After proper sealing the symptoms will subside and a future restoration can be placed on the tooth preventing it from fracturing. This allows you to keep your tooth and the support it provides to your

remaining teeth and functioning.