Dental Pulp
Teeth have a nerve in the center of them that is called dental pulp. This is actually a root which is responsible for laying down the hard material that creates the tooth. It also contains blood vessels, connective tissue and nerves. A proper functioning dental pulp will also have a proper functioning tooth that is hydrated and resilient to damage. Often, this pulp gets damaged from sporting injuries, really deep decay or from attempts by dentists to fix past decayed areas. As a result of this, the pulp can end up dying, and swelling, pain, irritation and abscesses can occur. The root canal is done to clean out the areas of the pulp that are affected and to save it from having to be extracted.
Preparation
After the patient has gotten an X-ray, the procedure is ready to begin. Since this is an elaborate procedure, anesthesia is administered. This is usually one shot, but there can actually be a few administered to make sure that the tooth is completely numb. An apparatus called a dental dam or rubber dam is then placed around the tooth. This is a protective rubber sheet that keeps the tooth free of saliva and it also keep tools out of the mouth that are being used in the procedure.
Drilling
The top of the tooth is called the crown. In the next part of the procedure, a small hole is drilled into the crown of the tooth. This is done in a location that is above the pulp area. The pulp area has a larger space on the top and then it branches downward into two roots that get progressively smaller. The upper area of the pulp is cleaned out with the drill and the roots are cleaned out with smaller tools called files. During this process, the files start out small and get bigger until they end up cleaning out the entire root. In between each pass, the tooth gets irrigated with a solution to wash out any debris or dead material that the file might have missed.
Filling
The final part of the procedure has to do with filling the root with material. After the root is thoroughly dried out, a substance called gutta percha is inserted into the canals. This is a pink colored, rubbery material that gets applied to the walls of the root canals with a white cement. A filling is then placed at the top of the tooth to protect the root canal and the procedure is over.
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