Teeth are made of three layers of tissue. The hard outside of your tooth is enamel. Below that is a tissue called dentin. Dentin protects the innermost layer of your tooth called the pulp. The pulp is made of soft tissues, blood vessels and nerves which reside in the root of your teeth.
When this interior tissue becomes diseased or infected, an abscess can develop. In some cases, root canal therapy is the only way to treat an abscessed tooth. Symptoms may include tender or swollen gums, sensitivity to hot or cold, a discoloured tooth, throbbing pain, or an increasingly painful toothache.
The procedure consists of cleaning out the diseased tissue, disinfecting the root canal, and sealing the tooth. Because root canal therapy can weaken the structure of the tooth, a crown may be recommended afterward.
Contrary to rumors, root canals are not the horrific, painful procedures that everyone tends to imagine. Most patients experience little or no discomfort. Root canals are performed at both our Windsor and Kingsville dental offices.