Home| Dental Services|General and Preventative Dentistry|Root Canals Contrary to popular belief, a root canal is actually a great way to save a tooth. You should consider yourself lucky if the dentist recommends root canal therapy, because it means you get to keep your natural tooth! To understand root canal therapy, you must know about the structure of a tooth. Inside the hard outer layers of your tooth lives a system of tissues, nerves, and blood cells called the pulp. The pulp runs through root canals in the tooth. These canals allow blood to bring nourishment to and, remove waste from the tooth. A root canal becomes necessary when a deep cavity or fracture extends into the pulp and allows bacteria to invade the inner chambers of the tooth. Dr. Deb or Dr. Rob can often save a tooth by cleaning the canals, filling them with an inert substance, and sealing the tooth with a dental crown. Your original tooth roots remain intact, which is great for your bite, jawbone, and other teeth. With modern tools and sedation dentistry options, root canal therapy is faster and more comfortable than ever. In fact, our dentists often perform the procedure in just one visit. Contact Bethesda Sedation Dentistry Please contact our practice today if you would like more information on the root canal procedure, or if you wish to schedule an appointment with one of our skilled dentists.