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A Root Canal is a dental procedure used to restore an abcessed tooth by removing the pulp chamber of the tooth and filling it with a suitable filling material. A root canal is usually performed when the tooth cannot be filled or restored any other way because the decay has reached the nerve of the tooth, or the tooth has become infected.
What to Expect
After Dr. Richey numbs your tooth, she will use a rubber dam to keep the tooth area dry and free of saliva. A rubber dam is simply a piece of rubber that fits over the tooth and isolates it from the rest of the mouth. Dr. Richey will then prepare the tooth by drilling an opening. After she removes all of the decay and bacteria, she will use root canal files to clean out the canals (roots) of the tooth. Files are small instruments that increase in diameter and fit down into the canals enabling her to remove the pulp of the tooth.
Sometimes we like to wait a week or two before finishing a root canal, to make sure that there is no discomfort or further infection. If this is the case, Dr. Richey will thoroughly clean the tooth and usually put some soothing medicine inside, and seal it closed with a temporary filling material.
At the final stage of a root canal treatment, Dr. Richey will fill the canals with a rubber filling material called gutta percha. The final step of a root canal is to fill the opening with a suitable filling material. Your tooth is now ready for the crown process.
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