Houston Root Canal Dentist - Elite Dental Wellness

Root Canal Therapy (RCT)

Endodontics is the branch of dentistry that deals with the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases and injuries of the pulp and associated periradicular conditions. Periradicular refers to the tissue and area surrounding the root of a patient’s tooth.

It includes the study of basic sciences like the biology of normal pulp, etiology for the various diseases and pathology of dental pulp along with morphology and physiology.

“Root Canal” is the familiar term used by most people when describing what an Endodontist does. It might also be referred to as Endodontic Therapy, Root Canal Therapy, RCT, Root End Surgery, etc… This procedure can potentially help save a patient from having to have a tooth extracted and receive a dental implant.

Objectives in Endodontics:
  • To diagnose diseases of the pulp
  • Identify and determine etiological factors responsible for pulpal and periapical disease
  • To prevent disease of the pulp and periapical tissues
  • To provide care which is proper and consistent
  • To determine reasonable prognosis for the treatment
  • To evaluate the completed endodontic procedures

Endodontic Treatment

Formerly, endodontic treatment confined itself to root canal filling techniques by conventional methods. Even endodontic surgery was considered to be in the field of oral surgery.

Today, modern endodontics includes diagnosis of oral pain pulp capping, pulpotomy, root canal treatment, and surgical endodontics, including; apicoectomy, hemi-section, root amputation and replantation.

Root Canal Dentist Houston - Elite Dental Wellness

The Root Canal Procedure:

  • Root canal treatment is done under local anesthesia
  • The rubber dam is placed in the mouth and around the base of the tooth to isolate the tooth and to keep the operating field dry
  • The tooth decay is removed and access opening is done through the crown of the tooth into the pulp chamber. Creating this access, the pressure inside the tooth is relieved and gradually pain is decreased
  • The working length (the distance from the coronal reference point to the point of which canal prepartion and obturation should terminate) is determined with a series of x-rays
  • Irrigation is done to flush out the debris
  • The root canals are cleaned and shaped to recieve inert filling material called gutta percha
  • The tooth is not sealed permanently until it is free from active infection
  • The temporary seal is placed and antibiotics are prescribed to counter any spread of infection from the tooth
  • Once the canals are clean the final restoration is done which includes the combination of dowel, core and coronal restoration
  • After this treatment, a crown is placed over the tooth to protect it

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