Root Canal Therapy

Root canal treatment is required when the nerve inside your tooth becomes infected through tooth decay or damaged by an injury to your teeth. This infection can spread through the root system and into the supporting bone, which could lead to an abscess, causing a great deal of discomfort. If root canal treatment is not carried out, the tooth may need to be removed to resolve infection or pain issues.

Our dentist can perform root canal treatment to stop the infection from spreading and will preserve as much of your tooth as possible. Using specific techniques and advanced equipment, you will receive a local anaesthetic and the treatment overall should feel no different to having an ordinary filling placed. The aim of the treatment is to remove all infection from inside the root of the tooth. The inside of the root is cleaned, shaped and filled to prevent any further infection. A temporary filling is then placed to make sure the symptoms prior to the root canal have diminished. The tooth is checked 2-4 weeks later and the tooth is permanently filled and sealed. Root canal treatment is a skilled and time-consuming procedure but most courses of treatment can be completed in one appointment.

Once a root canal is completed and the tooth is healed a crown is often recommended. A root canal treated tooth functions normally but without response to hot and cold, this is because the tooth is no longer vital. This now non vital tooth has no blood supply and can make the tooth brittle and easy to chip or fracture. A dental crown is recommended to encase the tooth, give it stregnth and prevent any fractures or chipping. Your dentist will advise you if a crown is needed.