| A root canal is a procedure in which a dentist treats a condition
in the patient in which bacteria has invaded a patient's tooth through
a crack or loose filling and infected the inner areas of the tooth, or
root canals.
The root canals are filled with pulp, a soft tissue full
of blood vessels and nerves that provides the tooth with nourishment.
When bacteria enters the pulp, it infects it and the problem can
progress all the way down to the small ligaments that hold the tooth
to the jawbone.
When this happens, the tooth can be loosened and
eventually fall out. To prevent this from occurring, the dentist makes
small openings in the crown of the tooth and removes the infected pulp.
Then the dentist cleans and disinfects the canals and fills them with
a harmless substance.
A new crown is then placed on the tooth and
while the tooth is no longer going to be fed by the pulp, it will be fed by
the surrounding gums. The entire process could take a few days.
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