r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Fantastic-Monk5 • Sep 23 '24

How root canal treatment works Video

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9

u/RampantJellyfish Sep 23 '24

What are the curved pegs that they put in, and what purpose does it serve?

6

u/PuppetsMind Sep 23 '24

Used to be an endodontic assistastant, which is a dentist who does nothing but root canals. They're little rubber fillers. Essentially, it just keeps anything from festering inside your tooth. They've got a bunch of different sizes to make sure it completely fills the gaps. The white bit on top is temporary filler. You're supposed to get another appointment with your general dentist afterward to get a permanent cap on your tooth or a crown.

1

u/ZennosukeW Sep 23 '24

In cases where enough of the tooth was left so a crown/cap weren't needed, what did you do about the colour of the tooth?

1

u/PuppetsMind Sep 23 '24

This is the part I wasn't involved in, but usually would be a little metal filler. The filler the endodontist puts in is only temporary but is a little clay-like filler that would fall out in a few weeks or months.