FAQs about your tooth, answered by Conyers, GA specialists

FAQs about your tooth - Conyers, GA

To better understand root canal therapy and other endodontic procedures, it is helpful to understand your tooth’s anatomy. Here, Drs Desir, St. Paul, and De Veaux of Conyers Endodontic Center in Conyers, GA, talk about what you can’t see when you look in the mirror and smile.

What are root canals?

These canals or channels are the part of the tooth underneath the gum tissue: the roots. They connect the white part of the tooth you see above the gumline, the crown, and the bone in your jaw. The innermost part of the tooth, the pulp, resides within these root canals. Supplied with blood, this soft and nervy pulp may become damaged. The tissue may need to be removed with endodontic techniques to resolve pulpal pain, swelling, and associated symptoms. “Endo” and “dont” quite literally refer to the “inside” and the “tooth,” respectively. 

Doesn’t my tooth need the pulp?

As your tooth matures, it depends on the pulp’s blood supply for healthy nourishment. A fully formed tooth no longer needs the pulp. After the pulp has outlived its useful purpose, it can cause problems. Since it contains nerves, you will often feel when the tissue is injured, inflamed, and infected. Deep decay or trauma at the center of the tooth will not resolve on its own without treatment. 

How does endodontic treatment help?

Procedures such as nonsurgical root canal therapy remove the offending bacteria, inflammation, and infection. The root canals themselves are sterilized, reshaped, and sealed off with a gutta-percha filling material to promote sustained health. Eventually, the visible part of the tooth is restored with a new, permanent crown. 

What are the chances of “saving” my tooth?

Root canal therapy has a more than 90% success rate. However, the outcomes from your procedure depend on many factors, including anatomical characteristics. As specialists, we have access to microsurgical techniques. Root-end resections, for instance, maybe appropriate should you experience ongoing inflammation following root canal therapy. As they’re known medically, Apicoectomies are the precise removal of the end of the teeth roots. After exacting filling and sealing, the bone around the treated roots is encouraged to heal.

Benefit from specialist care. Contact us at (470) 486-6025 to schedule your appointment.