The patient presented with jaw pain and his lower right area was painful to touch; with hot/cold/sweets and when biting or chewing. At times he experienced shooting pain level of 10. Dr. Patel noted that the gum around a lower right tooth was inflamed and an x-ray revealed an infection with a necrotic pulp. The pulp is the soft area within the tooth that contains the nerve, blood vessels and connective tissue. When the nerve looses blood flow it essentially "dies", causing the entire pulp to die and need root canal treatment. Dr. Patel excavated (removed all decay and cleaned out), disinfected and irrigated the tooth's canals. A material called Gutta Percha was placed to fill the canals and then they were sealed off. The patient was seen for a follow up appointment one week later and cleared for a crown as the final restoration.
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