Root treatments

The purpose of root canal treatment is to eliminate infection from the tooth thereby relieving pain and then sealing the tooth to prevent a recurrent infection. The only effective alternative treatment to root canal therapy is extraction of the tooth. Antibiotics will only provide a temporary relief of the symptoms.

Root canal treatment of a tooth is necessary when the blood vessels and nerves forming the tissue either inside or immediately surrounding the tooth become inflamed or infected.

The pulp tissue within the tooth has a blood supply only through the tips of the roots. It is both very vulnerable to damage and only has limited ability to repair itself. When the pulp of the tooth becomes inflamed the tooth becomes sensitive to temperature change and sweet foods. Treatment at this stage to eliminate the cause of the problem can initiate resolution of the problem, however, if the inflammation progresses the tooth becomes spontaneously painful and infected and root canal treatment is the only option.

Teeth are particularly vulnerable to infection as they penetrate through the skin of the mouth and are capable of transferring bacteria from the mouth into the underlying bone thereby causing an abscess. Once the blood supply inside the tooth is lost or damaged there is little protection against this infective process unless a good seal is achieved in the root canal.

Root canal treatment involves removal of the pulp from all of the root canals in the tooth. This is achieved by cutting through the top of the tooth to allow access to the root canals. These canals are then widened and shaped to the tip of the roots to allow thorough cleaning using ultrasound and cleaning solutions. The tooth is then dressed with an antibacterial dressing, temporarily sealed with a filling and left to settle for a few days. Once the tooth has settled, is comfortable and free of infection a rubber seal is placed to completely fill all of the canals. The tooth is then restored with a filling or crown to protect it from further damage. These two visits are usually sufficient to complete the root canal treatment.

Root canal treatment is a delicate procedure and can be quite complex. Its success depends on the accurate and careful shaping of the canals and effective cleaning of the tooth. We employ state of the art preparation instruments to make this process as comfortable, reliable and quick as possible. In order to ensure sterility and avoid breaking the fine instruments during treatment, new instruments are used for every treatment.

Is root canal treatment painful?

No. When a tooth is inflamed it requires more anaesthetic than usual to achieve a good level of numbness. Provided that the treatment is not rushed it should be perfectly comfortable. If all the remnants of the pulp are thoroughly removed from the tooth there should only be minimal discomfort after treatment. This can be controlled with Ibuprofen.

Does root canal treatment weaken the tooth?

Yes. Loss of the blood supply from inside the tooth causes it to dry out and generally a root treated tooth also has a large cavity in it. For this reason we usually recommend placing a crown on the tooth to strengthen it.

Will the tooth turn black?

No. The black colour associated with root filled teeth is caused by blood or bits of pulp left behind inside the tooth or oxidation products of the material used to fill the tooth. We use sodium hypochlorite (bleach) to wash out the tooth to eliminate all traces of blood and pulp and the materials that we use to fill the tooth do not cause staining.

How expensive is root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment is time consuming. The fee reflects the number of roots that need to be filled and hence the time taken to carry it out. We charge separately for the single use special instruments used.

Once root canal treatment has been carried out does this mean I will have no more problems with my tooth?

Unfortunately the tooth can still develop cavities and also can suffer recurrent infection. For this reason it is important to restore the tooth very carefully and then keep it very clean and well looked after. It is also important to monitor a root treated tooth with x-rays every few years so that any recurrent problems can be identified early.

Is it worth doing root canal treatment?

We achieve around 95% success with root canal treatment, allowing the tooth to be kept, fully functional for a long time afterwards. Not all teeth are amenable to root treatment however and where this is the case we will discuss this with you. Every tooth is an individual case and the benefits of keeping it must always be weighed up against the cost and inconvenience of treatment. We will always discuss this with you prior to commencing treatment.