The space inside the tooth is called the canal. As such, a root canal treatment refers to the treatment of the dental pulp inside this canal. This soft tissue contains the nerves and blood vessels of the tooth.

Root canal treatments repair infected teeth or damaged nerves, and thus save the tooth from extraction. By removing the nerve and pulp and cleaning and sealing the inside of the tooth, the discomfort caused by pain and swelling can be alleviated.

Root canal treatments not only save infected or damaged teeth or dead pulp, but also preserve the tooth’s aesthetics and masticatory functions. At the Fortin Poirier Dental Clinic, we perform root canal treatments in the following situations:

• Spontaneous or throbbing pain that wakes you up at night;
• Deep cavities that reach the dental pulp where the nerve is located;
• Broken tooth that a filling cannot restore;
• Pulp irritated by trauma or traumatic occlusion;
• Tooth that requires a crown as there is no longer enough tooth substance remaining and the additional support of a pivot is needed.

Depending on the severity of the situation, root canal treatment is done in several stages, over one or two appointments:

1. Administration of local anesthesia to ensure that the patient does not feel any pain during the treatment.
2. Creation of a small opening in the tooth to access the damaged canal and pulp.
3. Installation of a dam to prevent bacteria contained in your saliva from reaching the tooth.
4. Removal of the pulp to clean and widen the canal.
5. Sealing of the canal.
6. Restoration of the tooth.

Generally speaking, this procedure is relatively simple. The patient may feel a little pain for a week or two, but nothing more. The fact remains that it is the best way to save your tooth, preventing a series of even less pleasant problems.