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Root Canals | Dentist Renton
Bringing Smiles to Your Renton Neighborhood Since 1999
What is a root canal?
Endodontic treatment, also known as root canal treatment, is required when you have a severely infected tooth. The infection might be caused by decay, a crack in the tooth. However, with root canal treatment, your tooth will function normally.
What caused the infection?
The two most common causes of infection in the pulp are deep cavities and fractured or broken teeth. Both expose the pulp to bacteria that live in saliva. These bacteria, which are always present in your mouth, can cause an infection that can kill the pulp. Without treatment, the pus from the infection can eventually gather down at the root tip and pass into the jaw bone, causing an abscess (a pus pocket). The abscess can then damage the bone that surrounds the tooth. The resulting pressure inside the bone and ligaments surrounding the tooth can cause excruciating pain, and left untreated, can even be life threatening.
You may have realized that you had an infected tooth because it was sensitive to hot and cold, was swollen and painful, or had given you a bad taste in your mouth. On the other hand, you may have been completely unaware that you had an infection because you experienced no symptoms at all.