Root Canal Treatment at Langley Dental

What Are Root Canals?

Root canals are tiny passageways that branch off from beneath the top of the tooth, coursing their way vertically downward, until they reach the tip of the root. All teeth have between one and four root canals.

Why You Might Need Root Canal Treatment

There are several reasons why your root canal treatment may not have succeeded at first. The “canals” themselves are slender, forked passageways deep inside the tooth that enclose nerves and blood vessels: the tooth’s soft “pulp.” They can be so narrow and intricate that some may have gone undetected, or failed to respond to treatment the first time. Or, the canals might have become re-contaminated via a number of routes: a delayed or ineffective crown restoration, new tooth decay, advancing gum disease, or a cracked or fractured tooth. Any of these conditions could result in reinfection.

If the initial root canal (endodontic) therapy has failed, the first thing to do is evaluate your options. Besides retreatment, the alternatives may include endodontic surgery or extraction (removal) of the tooth. However, a missing tooth should be replaced by a dental implant, a bridge, or a partial denture as soon as possible — and none of these are simple or inexpensive options. That’s part of the reason we prefer to help you retain your natural teeth whenever possible.

Benefits of Root Canal Treatment

A natural tooth that’s saved via root canal treatment and restoration helps you avoid the problems that commonly occur when teeth must be removed. These include unwanted tooth migration or shifting, which can lead to difficulties in chewing; the need for bridgework or dental implants, which may be costly and complicated; and even the eventual loss of bone structure from the area of the missing tooth.