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Root Canal Treatment
For a tooth that has unfortunately developed a dental infection, root canal treatment can be performed to preserve the natural tooth, avoiding removal of the tooth. We use the latest technologies to help us carry out this treatment in a comfortable and efficient way.
When is root canal treatment required?
Embedded in the core of every tooth root, there is a narrow space called the root canal that houses the blood vessels and nerve supply of that tooth.
One of the main reasons that warrants a root canal treatment is when there is an infection the root canal, which can present with varying degrees of sensitivity or pain.
How is root canal treatment performed?
The tooth is firstly numbed with anaesthetics. The diseased and infected tissues in the root canal is cleaned out, and the root canal space is washed and disinfected. Finally, a medication paste is placed into the root canal to ensure all bacteria are killed and pain is settled.
At a later appointment, we ensure that the tooth has settled down, and a root filling is placed into the root canal to prevent future infections.
What happens after a root canal treatment?
A root canal treated tooth is weaker than before treatment, and is prone to fractures in the future.
Depending on the individual tooth, your dentist will advise on the strongest and most long-lasting option to rebuild the tooth.
Why not just remove the tooth?
Our view is always to retain natural teeth for as long as possible, delaying extractions for circumstances where there is no other choice.
Natural teeth usually function better than artificial teeth and are easier to maintain.
Moreover, losing a tooth without having it replaced will reduce chewing capacity, cause tilting of neighbouring teeth, and put extra strain on remaining teeth. This can lead to deterioration of the remaining teeth.
Are root canal treatments painful?
We always use local anaesthetic to numb the tooth before carrying out a root canal treatment. Allowing time for the anaesthetic to take effect usually makes treatment comfortable and pain-free.
Infected teeth are sometimes difficult to numb. Occasionally the patient would have to take a course of prescription antibiotics, and return about a week later to have the treatment. This ensures the dental infection is suppressed, and treatment can be pain-free.
