ROOT CANALS THERAPY

WHY WOULD I NEED ROOT CANAL THERAPY?

Endodontic treatment or Root canal therapy is needed when a tooth has a damaged or infected pulp. Damage to the pulp may be caused by untreated dental decay, decay beneath a filling, tooth damage due to trauma, tooth grinding or gum disease. Symptoms may include pain, sensitivity to heat or cold, swelling or soreness in the gum surrounding the tooth ,tooth discolouration may also occur in some cases.

Root canal therapy has a 90-95 per cent success rate. The alternate treatment to a root canal therapy is an extraction.

 

Root canals can be completed with minimal visits.

Firstly we need to access the canals for a pulpectomy.

The root canal is accessed by drilling an opening at the top of the tooth. Using specific dental files the dentist will remove the infected pulp and place an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory medicine inside the root canal to help stop the infection and inflammation. Oral antibiotics are also given to fight the infection. A temporary filling is placed to protect the tooth in between visits.

At the next visit the canal is accessed through the opening. Each canal is cleaned enlarged and shaped. Dental radiographs are taken to check the length and shape of the root canals as well as the success of the treatment. To complete the procedure the cleaned canals need to be permanently filled and the pulp chamber needs to be sealed. Depending on how much structure is lost a post may need to be placed inside the tooth to support a crown.

Are you worried you might need a root canal? Contact us and we can talk about your dental needs in more detail.