Root Canal Therapy
East York

Root canal therapy (RCT) is needed when the nerve of a tooth is affected by decay or infection. The most common reasons that a tooth becomes compromised is because of a crack or fracture, a deep cavity, or an injury to the tooth. In order to save the tooth from extraction, the pulp (the living tissue inside the tooth), nerves, bacteria, and any decay are removed, and the resulting space is filled with special, medicated dental materials which restores the tooth to its full function. An injured tooth that is left untreated can lead to extreme pain, a dental abscess, or possible tooth loss.

RCT is the treatment of choice to save a tooth that otherwise would die and have to be removed. Patients often believe that removing a problematic tooth is the only solution, but that is not always the case. Extracting (or pulling) a tooth may often be more costly and can cause significant problems for adjacent teeth.

Root canal treatment is highly successful and usually lasts a lifetime, although on occasion, a tooth may have to be re-treated due to new infections.