Root canal treatment is a very effective way to save your tooth from extraction, removing dead or damaged nerves and filling the space left behind. It also removes the source of infection, so it is unable to affect other areas of your mouth.
The main aim of endodontic treatment is to relieve your pain and avoid losing a tooth and creating a gap in your smile. This helps to prevent further problems, including misalignment, and eliminates the costs involved with replacing a missing tooth. Our skilled team is very experienced in safe and effective root canal treatment.
We begin your root canal treatment journey by taking an x-ray to accurately check the root canals inside your painful tooth. We make sure the infection is confined to the tooth, and hasn’t spread to the surrounding bone or other areas. We plan your treatment and discuss the procedure with you.
We place a rubber sheet around your tooth to keep it dry before carefully removing the infected pulp, using local anaesthetic to minimise your discomfort. We then flush the root canals with an antibacterial solution to thoroughly clean them.
We use special tiny instruments to shape the root canals before washing them again to remove any lasting debris. We then fill them with a rubber compound material to seal the tooth and prevent any bacteria from entering and causing further infection.
To finish, we typically use a dental crown to help restore tooth shape and function, giving a strong and aesthetic finish.
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The dental pulp within your tooth is made up of soft tissue, including nerves and blood vessels, and extends from the crown to the tips of the root. If the pulp becomes infected, due to decay, trauma, or a deep filling, it needs to be removed to avoid the issue spreading and to save your natural tooth. You may experience symptoms including pain, sensitivity, discolouration, swelling, a metallic taste or gum tenderness.
The most important thing is to maintain your regular oral hygiene routine. Even after a root canal, the tooth can still be vulnerable to decay, so you must keep up with daily brushing and flossing. A good oral hygiene routine at home helps to protect your tooth and the surrounding gum tissue.
With proper care, a tooth that has had root canal treatment should remain trouble-free and provide a long-lasting repair. Even though the pulp has been removed, the tooth remains intact because the root canals are sealed to prevent re-infection. To ensure any potential issues are caught early, we always recommend you attend regular check-ups with your dentist.
Despite its reputation, root canal treatment is often not as painful as people expect. The procedure itself should be no more uncomfortable than having a standard filling, as the area is fully numbed. In fact, many people feel immediate relief once the treatment is complete because the severe pain caused by the original infection is gone.
If it is properly cared for, your root treated tooth should function well for many years and cause no issues. In some cases, the treatment may need to be repeated, but this is rare.
The only alternative to endodontic treatment is to have the affected tooth removed, thus eliminating the pain and infection. We try to avoid this, as it is much better for you to keep your natural tooth. An extraction also incurs additional costs relating to filling the gap left in your smile. Occasionally, removing the tooth is inevitable, but we will talk to you about your options in full.
