Endodontic or root canal therapy.

What is root canal treatment or endodontic therapy? "Endo" is the Greek word for "inside" and "odont" is Greek for "tooth." So endodontic treatment treats the inside of the tooth. Inside the tooth, under the white enamel and a secondary hard layer called the dentin, is a soft tissue called the pulp.

The pulp contains blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue which are all necessary for the development of the tooth. The pulp extends from the crown of the tooth to the tip of the roots where it connects to the surrounding tissues. The pulp is important during a tooth's growth and development but once a tooth is fully developed the pulpal tissues are no longer essential for it to be retained in the maxilla or mandibula. The pulp of a tooth can be damaged buy decay, trauma, or a microscopic crack or fracture in the tooth. This may result in pain, swelling, sensitivity to hot or cold and sometimes a discolourasition of the tooth. To treat these symptoms and / or to avoid any further complications endodontic or root canal therapy is the only way the tooth can be saved.

The purpose of root canal therapy is to remove the inflamed or infected tooth pulp tissue from within the root structure of the tooth. After all the nerve tissue has been removed, the root canal system is filled with a sealer.

This procedure is generally completed over 2 or 3 appointments - however difficult cases may require more visits. Subsequent to endodontic therapy a tooth becomes more brittle due to its loss of blood supply and therefore is more susceptible to fracture. It is therefore recommended that a full cast coronal restoration - crown or inlay - is placed to protect the tooth from breaking. Root canal therapy is usually started to relieve pain and once the tooth is numb relieving your pain is no different to a normal filling. After treatment it may take a few days for the tooth to no longer be symptomatic but generally a mild painkiller ( codeine plus ibuprofen combination ) is enough to keep you comfortable during this time. Sometimes if the tooth is badly infected, a course of antibiotics may be needed as well.