Root canal treatment is a type of surgery on your tooth. It is needed when a dental carie or an old filling that is broken allows bacteria into the tooth. These bacteria may live quite happily in your teeth and eventually damage the tooth pulp and nerve.

As the bacteria continue to kill the pulp in the root of your tooth (in the root canal) you may develop a lump or "gum pimple" which is a build up of pus from the infection.

Root canal treatment removes the dead and damaged tissue in the tooth and fills it, much like a normal filling. Some people may require a crown, which is basically a cover to go over the top of the newly filled root canal.

You may be required to go back to the dentist more than once, so a temporary filling may be used until you can have a crown put on your tooth.

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animated teeth

http://www.animated-teeth.com/root_canal/t1_root_canal.htm#page.top

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The name says it all. Animated teeth is an oral hygiene website with numerous flash animations on multiple subjects relating to oral health, of which root canal treatment is just one. This webpage uses large font and diagrams to good effect and is particularly detailed. Additionally, it looks at alternatives to root canal treatment, discusses pain and pain management and what may happen should the root canal treatment fail. What a site!

Medical Keywords:

root canal, enamel, infection, pulp, filling, temporary filling, core, crown, decay, X rays, root canal file, dental crown, pain, alternatives to root canal treatment, failing root canal, bacteria, anaesthesia, numbing, nerve.

john appleyard endodontics

http://www.johnappleyard.com.au/endodontics.html

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This Australian website, provided by John Appleyard endodontics, gives a step by step description of what a root canal procedure is with matching diagrams. It also outlines a number of different procedures that may be required after having root canal treatment including formation of a crown on the affected tooth. The format is generally good with links to related topics throughout the text and the navigation bar makes browsing a breeze

Medical Keywords:

root canal, enamel, infection, pulp, filling, temporary filling, core, crown, decay, bacteria

american association of endodontists

http://www.aae.org/rootcanals.html

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This authoritative site from the American Associatin of Endodontists contains information for health professionals, the media and the general public on root canal treatment. There are fact sheets and frequently asked questions, a pain guide and myths about root canal therapy. There's also links to the Journal of Endodontics, the American Board of Endodontists and press releases for the media.

Medical Keywords:

root canal, enamel, infection, pulp, filling, temporary filling, crown, decay,dental crown, pain, bacteria, sensitive teeth, X rays.

brighton dental group

http://www.brightondental.com.au/brighton/default.cfm?teeth=endo_why

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Provided by the Brighton Dental Group, these webpages answer all your questions about root canal treatment. They discuss all facets of the root canal therapy from numbing the tooth, sectioning it off from other teeth using a rubber dam, the excision of dead pulp and finally filling of the tooth - with or without a crown. There is also information about the training requirements of endodontists (people who do restorative dentistry) and why root canal treatment is better than tooth extraction.

Medical Keywords:

root canal, enamel, infection, pulp, filling, temporary filling, dentin, crown, decay, X rays, bacteria, rubber dam, anaesthesia, numbing, nerve.