Root Canal Treatment.
Your teeth have ‘roots’ that anchor them into your jawbone. Inside each of your teeth there is a mixture of blood vessels and nerves called pulp. If your tooth is injured or has severe decay, the nerve and pulp can be damaged, this results in a “dead” tooth which is prone to infection.
A root canal is a dental procedure involving the removal of the pulp when the tooth becomes inflamed, infected, severely traumatised or painful. This will relieve your pain, treat the infection and preserves and restores your tooth back to health and function.
If you have acute or recurring pain in a tooth, contact our reception and arrange for a visit immediately. The faster you act, the sooner our skilful dentists can help
FAQs
-
Firstly your dentist will effectively numb your tooth and gums for the procedure
Next we will remove old fillings and decay to access the tooth pulp
We then thoroughly disinfect and precisely shape the root canals
Once fully disinfected we then fill the canals and seal the root canals to help prevent further infection and decay
A new restoration is placed to restore the tooth
Lastly we recommend placing a CROWN or ONLAY (follow the links for more details) on the tooth to protect and seal the treatment and give the tooth the best chance of success and survival.
-
Common causes of damage to the pulp include:
Severe tooth decay
Repeated dental treatment on the tooth
A cracked tooth
A broken crown
Cracked or loose fillings
Gum disease
Trauma or injury to the tooth, such as a blow to your mouth
-
Relieve pain and symptoms of infection
Prevents tooth loss, allowing you to keep your natural tooth for longer
Prevents infection spreading to neighbouring teeth
Boosts oral and overall health
-
Root canal treatments are performed under anaesthetic which makes them comfortable and in most cases completely painless.
Your tooth may feel sensitive or tender following the procedure, but this will only last for a few days. This is caused by the swelling of the tissues in the surrounding area.
You can counter any discomfort you experience with over-the-counter analgesics or painkillers. If you were to encounter more persistent or severe pain or inflammation, your dentist will be able to help.
-
When Root canal is performed on a tooth, the process of the treatment as well as any previous damage or decay to the tooth make the tooth weaker, more brittle and prone to fracturing.
To protect the tooth from breaking and to effectively seal the root canal treatment, we always recommend placing a crown or an onlay, especially for back teeth.