Root Canal Treatment
What is Root canal treatment?
Also known as Endodontics, it is a procedure used to treat infection at the centre (pulp) of a tooth. Root canal treatment can save a tooth that might otherwise have to be removed.
During the procedure the nerve and pulp of the tooth are removed and the inside is cleaned out and sealed. Without treatment, the tissue surrounding the tooth will become infected and an abscess may form.We will always try and save a natural tooth if we can do and Root Canal Treatment has a very high success rate.
What happens during a typical root canal procedure?
The dentist will take an x-ray of your tooth so that they can clearly see the canals of the tooth. After numbing the area, a small hole is made in the top of your tooth to access the pulp chamber and canals. Here, very small instruments are used to clean the pulp from the pulp chamber and remove the diseased tissue. The root canals are then shaped and disinfected to the root tips.
Teeth in the front of the mouth (anterior) have one root and generally one canal; back teeth (pre-molars and molars) have two or three roots and generally three or four canals.
The canals are then filled, sealed and the access hole will be temporarily filled. More often than not, a root treated tooth will need to be crowned as the tooth is now brittle. A crown will protect the tooth and give it the best chance of prolonging its life.
Yes there is, you can have the tooth extracted. The issue with removing the tooth completely, and not replacing the tooth with a dental implant for example) is that after time, with no root in the bone, the other teeth next to the extracted tooth start to drift into its place causing gapping, and the teeth moving up and eventually out. This can also cause bite issues, difficulty eating and loss of bone in the jaw, as well as not looking aesthetically pleasing.
We will always try and save a natural tooth if we can do and Root Canal Treatment has a very high success rate.
Root canal treatment is a very intricate procedure although it is very routine for our dentists. After your root canal appointment you may experience minimal swelling and discomfort however, this usually subsides within 24 hours. You may be given some antibiotics or pain killers to take to help reduce the pain and also be booked in for a follow-up visit to review how well the treatment has gone.
It’s important to follow instructions that you are given and keep in touch with your doctor if you experience any unexpected results. Some people are able to carry on as usual after the treatment, and some need more time to rest and recover.
Sometimes the toothache will stop because the infection destroys the pulp of the tooth, or the antibiotic helped the body overcome the bacteria. However, this doesn’t mean that the infection is gone completely. The source of the infection e.g. the infected nerve hasn’t been treated so infection will continue to spread if left untreated even though you stopped having symptoms.
If you are concerned about your teeth, or you think you may have an infection you shouldn’t wait to make an appointment. Putting off a necessary dental treatment may result in more extensive damage to your teeth.
Membership Plan
Our membership plan starts from £… per month and will allow you to cover the costs of all maintenance appointments by direct debit so it’s easy to manage your oral healthcare. Click here for more details.