To help you understand why you would need a root canal, you must first understand the
anatomy of a tooth. Teeth have three layers: Enamel, Dentin, and dental pulp which is the soft tissue inside. The dental
pulp contains the connective tissue, nerves and blood vessels that
nourish the tooth. The pulp is important during development, however
the tooth can survive without it during one's adulthood.
When the dental pulp becomes diseased or injured, the pulp tissue dies and if not removed, the tooth could be lost. Once the pulp is removed and the root canal is thoroughly cleansed, the tooth is sealed off for protection. Once sealed, a crown is placed over the tooth to help make the tooth stronger.
We need to perform root canal treatment when the pulp becomes inflamed or infected. There are several reasons why the pulp can become
inflamed or infected but most commonly, it's from deep decay. A large cavity
will cause nerve problems because the bacteria from the decay will
infiltrate the tooth and grow. A second reason is if a tooth has had repeated dental procedures. This sometimes creates
inflammation which causes the tooth to hurt which does not get better. Trauma or a blow to a tooth such as a fall can badly crack a tooth which can cause nerve damage.
If a tooth becomes inflamed from one of these
reasons and the tooth is left untreated it will cause pain and
eventually lead to an abscess. An abscess is an infection that will
cause damage to the bone and worse, sometimes spreading throughout your body.
Symptoms of nerve damage include pain, prolonged temperature sensitivity especially to heat, pain while chewing or biting, swelling, tenderness in the nearby gums, and discoloration of the
tooth. Sometimes there is no pain at all and will only appear on X-ray.
