 |
| How can you save your teeth with root canal therapy ? |
| |
| Root Canal Therapy |
 |
Your tooth is opened,
then your root canal
is cleaned and shaped. |
|
| Cleaning and shaping your root canals |
| |
| First your dentist makes an opening in your tooth and removes any filling and decay. Then your dentist removes unhealthy pulp with tiny, flexible files. Using delicate, up-and-down motions, your dentist gently cleans and smooths your canals to prepare them for the canal-filling materials. |
|
|
| |
| Filling your root canals |
| |
| After the pulp has been removed from your root canals and they have been smoothed, your root canals will be filled. Your dentist may fill the canals with tiny cone-shaped pieces of gutta-percha, a firm, rubberlike material, or use another dental material. A sealer-cement is used to seal the filling material into place. |
|
 |
| Your root canal is
filled with dental
material such as
gutta-percha and
may be covered with
a temporary filling. |
|
|
| |
 |
 |
| A post supports your teeth |
A crown protects it after treatment. |
|
| |
| After the inside of your tooth has been treated, the outside will be restored. To protect your tooth’s underlying structures and give your tooth a healthy appearance, and if your tooth needs extra support, your dentist may remove some gutta-percha and insert a post before the filling and crown are applied. |
- A post, stainless steel or another metal, is sometimes cemented into your root canal to build up your tooth after root canal therapy.
- A filling, usually silver or tooth-colored dental material, may be used to fill the opening in the top of your tooth.
- A crown, usually gold or porcelain, may be used to cover a tooth that has a large opening after root canal therapy.
|
| After your root canal therapy, take care of your treated tooth the same way you would your other teeth. Brush after every meal, and floss before going to bed. Also, have regular dental checkups, cleanings, and any other dental work you may need so your teeth last as long as you do! |
 |
|
|
