Are you having a hard time understanding what to expect from your upcoming root canal treatment simply because you are unfamiliar with many of the associated terms? If so, don’t worry – you are not a dentist, so there is no reason you would otherwise have run across these words. In addition, we are glad to provide you with a quick glossary of terms and explanations, so you can attain a firmer grasp on how a root canal works to rescue your smile.

Abscess

An abscess is a pocket of pus that typically forms on the tip of your tooth’s root – this happens when an infection becomes severe. It is often extremely uncomfortable and may rupture if neglected.

Dental Crown

A crown is a prosthetic, hollow tooth that we will place over your tooth tissue that remains after your root canal treatment is complete. The crown will restore and protect the tooth tissue beneath.

Dental Pulp

Pulp is the tissue that lines in the inside of your root canals – it houses everything your tooth needs to remain healthy, such as blood vessels. We will remove your damaged or infected pulp during root canal treatment to save your tooth.

Filling

We may place a dental filling in your tooth once we thoroughly remove pulp and other tissues as a means of restoring structure and sealing your tooth before placing a crown.

Gutta Percha

We seal your roots with this rubber-like substance to ensure bacteria may not re-invade.

Root Canals

Your root canals are the lowest portion of your teeth, making up the hollow chambers that house pulp and nerves.

Root Canal Treatment

This is the restorative dentistry treatment that we use to address damaged, inflamed, and infected pulp.