About
Root canal is the space at the centre of the dental root, which connects the dental pulp (at the center of a tooth containing nerve tissues and blood vessels) to the underling dental nerve. Root canal treatment involves disinfection and removal of the pulp tissues to save the tooth if the pulp gets infected or inflamed due to deep decay or fractured tooth.
Root canals are cleaned and shaped to a form that can be sealed. The canals are then flushed with an anti-bacterial solution to disinfect and to flush out debris. Finally, the canals are sealed with an inert material called gutta-percha.Once the root canal treatment is completed, the tooth should be restored to its full shape and function with either a permanent filling or a crown, depending on the amount of tooth structure left. This should be done as soon as possible to prevent the risk of tooth fracture, as a non-vital tooth tends to be more brittle and discoloured over time.