What is root canal treatment?

If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of needing root canal treatment (a “root canal”), you should be treated by the best endodontists in NYC. Our office proudly uses highest-quality dental material, digital radiography and endodontic microscope to diagnose and treat our patients.

We offer 3-D imaging, known as a Cone Beam CT (cone beam computed tomography) to give us a more complete picture of your tooth and the surrounding structures. When it comes to the diagnosis and treatment of your dental pain or infection we want the most information we can get! This 3-D image does not replace the traditional 2 dimensional Xray or vice versa; however when we have both diagnostic tools available to us it vastly improves the outcomes for our patients. We invest in the latest technology so that we can deliver the best care.

A root canal treatment is a procedure that extracts the pulp from the central part of the tooth and filled after proper debridement, in efforts to removed irritated, inflamed or infected tissue and save your natural teeth.

There are a number of reasons root canal treatment may be necessary, including:

  • Inflamed or infected tooth pulp

  • Severe sensitivity to hot and cold

  • Caries (cavity)

  • Chipped or broken tooth

  • Trauma

  • Swelling or tenderness near the infected tooth

  • Repeated dental procedures on a tooth

When left untreated, these problems can lead to chronic irritation or infection, possibly damaging more tooth structure and bone.

The root canal treatment procedure involves the following steps:

  • The patient undergoes local anesthesia.

  • A dental dam is used to isolate the tooth.

  • The tooth is opened to allow for removal of infected or dead dental pulp.

  • The tooth is comprehensively cleaned, including any cracks and canals.

  • With special tools, the doctor reshapes the canals.

  • The tooth is filled again with cutting edge biocompatible filling material.

  • A temporary covering is used to cover the access opening.

  • Following a recovery period, the patient will return to their referring dentist for the placement of a permanent restoration.