Root Canal Treatment

Bacteria can get into the tooth pulp (nerve) through decays or cracks. The acid from the bacteria irritates the ‘pulp’, making it inflamed and infected. This leads to pressure building up inside the tooth which can cause severe constant pain. This is why tooth decay needs to be dealt with quickly, before damaging the tooth pulp (nerve) permanently and forming an abscess around the root.

With root canal therapy, your dentist will cut a cavity under local anaesthetic; he will then remove the pulp and clean, shape and seal the root canals. He uses X-ray methods to ensure the canal is properly prepared and filled.

Crowns
Also referred to as ‘caps’, crowns can be made from porcelain, metal or porcelain fused to metal. Essentially they are a ‘shell’ that fit over a stained, broken or heavily filled tooth – and modern crowns are as strong and comfortable as natural teeth. For aesthetic reasons, we usually recommend the use of modern ceramic processes that produce unparalleled translucency and colour that match your other teeth perfectly.

Bridges
Lost teeth can cause the adjacent teeth to tilt into the space, result in opposing teeth over-eruption and cause problems when eating. Dental bridges are used to fill gaps caused by a missing tooth or teeth. A bridge is a false tooth which is supported by the adjacent teeth or implants and these days the dental bridge can appear to emerge naturally from the gum, just like the surrounding teeth.

What is root canal treatment?
Root canal treatment, also known as endodontics, is the process by which infected teeth can be saved by cleaning, shaping and filling the fine channels within the roots.

Why do I need root canal treatment?
The pulp tissue within a tooth, which contains nerves and blood vessels, can become inflamed or infected due to decay, fracture or trauma. Often the extent of the problem isn’t evident until toothache arises, by which point the pulp tissue has already been badly damaged.

Is root canal treatment painful?
No. Root canal treatment has an undeserved reputation for being a painful procedure. Modern techniques and anaesthesia mean that it is no worse than a normal filling.

What does it involve?
After administering local anaesthetic, the dentist will gain access to the canals within the roots of the tooth. These canals are then shaped using fine files and disinfected, before filling and sealing them off. Depending on the tooth, this normally requires one or two long appointments.

How successful is it?
Like any medical procedure, success cannot be guaranteed, but long-term studies have shown that root canal treatment is normally very effective.

What happens after?
The tooth which has been treated will need to have a restoration placed at the end of the final appointment. Often back teeth will require a subsequent crown or onlay to protect the tooth from breaking under chewing forces.

What are the alternative options?
The only alternative to root canal treatment for an infected tooth is extraction. The removal of a tooth should not be taken lightly. There may be unwanted movement of adjacent and opposing teeth, and an unsightly gap could be created. Replacing missing teeth is normally more expensive and complex than root canal treatment, and there is nothing as good as your own teeth!

Wisdom teeth are the third molars and the last ones in the series of teeth. If they erupt, they come out at the age of 16 to 24 years old. They can be very useful for chewing if they are well aligned. However, in most cases, they do not come out completely, staying impacted in the jaw and should be extracted.