What is endodontics?
Endodontics is the branch of dentistry concerning dental pulp and tissues surrounding the roots of a tooth. Endodontic treatment, or root canal treatment, treats the soft pulp tissue inside the tooth that has been damaged by cavities or traumatic dental injury; and prepares it to be replaced with a filling.
Benefits of endodontics
- Prevents need of dental extraction
- Eliminates dental infections and its side effects, such as halitosis
- Since dental extraction is avoided, adjacent teeth can’t move or shift from their place.
- It reestablishes the functionality of teeth by recovering parts of the tooth that had been lost.
- Avoids costlier dental treatments
When is endodontics necessary?
When the dental nerve is affected by cavities or by an irreversible pulpitis. If not treated in time, an abscess can arise, which can spread infection to adjacent tissue. When this infection is spread into the bone, inflammation and pain arise. As well as other symptoms, such as inflamed lymph nodes and fever.