Endodontics San Francisco, CA
Endodontic root canal treatment and retreatment.
Each tooth in your mouth sits in bone and is surrounded by gum tissue. Approximately two-thirds of each tooth (the root portion) is in jaw bone. Inside every tooth is a canal or canals (usually depending on the number of roots the tooth has). Each canal has a vein, artery and nerve in it. Collectively they are referred to as the pulp. Sometimes, because of trauma like decay or a large filling, the pulp becomes irritated and can get infected. In this case, root canal (a.k.a. endodontic treatment) is necessary in order to save the tooth.
A small hole is made in the top part of the tooth, the canal(s) is cleaned of infected (or dead) pulp, made sterile then filled with a material specific for the procedure. The whole process can usually take from one or more appointments, depending on the number of roots.
The follow up after root canal treatment is covering the treated tooth with a crown so that the endodontically treated tooth will be protected. Crowns, however, are not always needed.
This procedure is done routinely in our office, and it beats the alternative of extracting the problem tooth.
Our Endodontic Services Include:
- Relive a painful or infected tooth with root canal treatment.
- Infections are drained and treated with an abscess removal.