If a tooth is broken, injured, or has a large cavity that has reached the nerve, a root canal is usually the next step.

Inside every tooth is achamber containing connective tissue, a nerve supply, and blood vessels, known as the dental pulp, responsble for helping your teeth to grow and mature before entering your mouth. When this dental pulp is damaged or dead, a root canal is necessary.  

During a root canal procedure, the infected or damaged nerve is cleaned out of the tooth, sterilized, and then the canal is filled with a plastic material.

As times goes on, a tooth treated with a root canal can become brittle. It is adviseable to place a crown immediately after a root canal to help prevent the tooth from breaking, completely restoring the tooth.

Broken teeth and toothaches are inconvenient and painful, and if you are in extreme pain, removing the dead tissue, bacteria and infection should help to alleviate it. 

If you think you may need a root canal, please reach out to our Berkeley dental office.  

Call 510.841.0108, request an appointment online, or contact us.