Root Canal Pictures

Molar tooth before root canal               Molar tooth after root canal

This molor tooth and the bicuspid tooth beside it have been prepared for crowns or caps. You can tell by the squared look at the top. The white lines in the teeth show the root canal filling. This is gutta percha, a natural rubber.  According to Wikipedia, "Its physical and chemical properties, including but not limited to its inertness and biocompatibility, melting point, and ductility afford it an important role in the field of endodontics for a long time to come."

Bicuspid teeth before root canal        Bicuspid teeth after root canal

Note the dark areas at the end of the tooth roots. This is an abscess in the bone surrounding the roots. Now that the root canals are complete this area should heal over time.

  Here you can see a 4 unit dental bridge replacing a missing molar tooth. The third tooth in this picture has had an apicoectomy denoted by the white round dot at the top. This tooth had a root canal which did not heal on its own. The endodontist performed an apicoectomy which is a dental surgery where the root is sealed off from the root end.

Molar tooth before retreatment         Molar tooth after retreatment

With a retreatment, the root canal is redone. Note in the first picture how faint the root canal filling is and how it does not go to the root end. In the second picture, the canals are reshaped and filled and an additional canal was found and treated.