Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy also known as endodontic treatment is performed to save the tooth in question from extraction.

The tooths nerve can become inflamed or infected for a multitude of reasons such as; badly decayed, trauma Eg: tooth being knocked in sport, gum disease, wear on tooth from bruxism, crack in filling etc, this causes the nerve to let off symptoms of pain with chewing and biting and sensitivity to heat and cold sensations, the tooth can discolour and also you can get an abscess or gum swelling.  You may be prescribed a course of antibiotics before our dentist can start your root canal therapy, or you may be given a course of antibiotics to take in between appointments to help rid of the infection.

Root canal therapy usually requires 3 visits sometimes 4 depending on the tooth in question.

At your first visit our dentist will start by giving you a local anaesthetic if needed.  You will be required to have a latex sheet over your mouth called rubber dam to keep the area free from moisture and clean during your visit, non latex alternatives are also available if you have a latex allergy.  The dentist will the drill a small opening cavity into the tooth to gain access to the nerve, our dentist will then use a instruments called  files to remove the nerve from the tooth, clean out and shape the empty chamber along  with an antibacterial solution, some medication will then be inserted in the tooth for healing and a temporary dressing placed so you can chew as normal and keep the tooth free from food debris.

At your second visit you may not require any local anaesthetic as now the nerve has been removed you shouldn't be able to feel a thing!  Again you will be required to have the rubber dam placed on your mouth and around the tooth, the dentist will start by removing the temporary dressing, and begin shaping and cleaning out the chamber with the  files and an antibacterial solution again the sealing up the tooth with a temporary dressing.  Radiographs may be required at this visit.

At your third visit our dentist will begin by removing the temporary dressing and again cleaning out the empty canals and drying them so some Gutta-Percha points can be measured up to be inserted into the tooth to fill the canals and prevent infection re-occurring, radiographs may be taken at this visit for correct measurements of the canals and Gutta-Percha points, once these have been inserted into the canal our dentist will then place a composite or Glass Ionomer restoration to secure the root canal therapy.

 Your dentist may advise you to have a crown placed on the tooth to strengthen it and protect it, as the tooth is always brittle and weaker after root canal therapy.  Most of these crowns will also require a metal or fibre glass post to be placed down the canals to add extra strength and stability to the tooth.