Root Canal Treatment

Do You Have a Dying Tooth? Let Us Help Save It!

Root canal treatment, also known as endodontic treatment;
can help save a tooth that has been badly damaged by trauma, disease, or decay.

Root canal treatment can help a patient keep a damaged tooth rather than having it replaced or removed.

What is a Root Canal?

Every tooth contains fine spaces inside known as root canals. Inside these canals is the dental pulp, which contains nerves and blood vessels.

If the dental pulp is diseased or dead, the root canal will get infected and cause a toothache and eventually form an abscess. In order to treat the toothache and remove the abscess, an experienced dentist will need to perform root canal treatment in order to save the infected tooth.

Advantages and Disadvantages

What Factors Contribute to Pulp Death?

Several factors put a tooth at risk of pulp death or disease, including:

A crack or fracture in the tooth
Extreme wear
Deep cavities
Tooth decay
Trauma

What Are the Symptoms of an Infected or Dead Tooth?

Symptoms of a possible damaged or infected tooth include:

Pain or ache when biting down.
A dull ache or severe pain in the tooth or surrounding area.
A discoloured spot on the gum where pus may seep out, causing a foul taste in your mouth.
Swelling in the gums surrounding the infected tooth or teeth.

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Our staff are more than happy to answer any questions or queries you may have.

Root Canal Treatment FAQs

What Causes a Tooth to Die or Become Infected?

There a few general causes of an infected or dead tooth :

Repeated procedures to the same tooth.
Extensively decayed teeth, usually a result of poor diet and oral hygiene.
Teeth that are cracked, broken, or chipped (this can allow an infection to enter the pulp of the tooth).
Other non-visible damage to the tooth caused by trauma or injury.

What Does Root Canal Treatment Involve?

A simple root canal procedure can typically be completed in one visit, but some cases may require two visits.

The procedure usually lasts between 60 and 90 minutes and begins with the application of a local anesthetic to numb the affected area.

The dentist then creates a hole in the crown of the tooth, allowing access to the root canals inside the tooth. The infected pulp is then removed, and the root canals are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected..

The root canals are then filled, and the hole created by the dentist is restored. If a significant amount of damage has occurred to the tooth structure, a crown will be needed to protect the tooth from further damage.

It is common for the tooth to be tender following the procedure. This should resolve within a couple of days, but feel free to contact us if you have any concerns.

What Are the Care Instructions Following Root Canal Treatment?

Aftercare procedures following root canal treatment include:

Brush and floss teeth twice daily as normal.
Take paracetamol or ibuprofen for any post-treatment pain.
Avoid hard or chewy foods for several days.
If the pain does not resolve after two days or worsens, please contact us immediately.

How Can I Prevent Root Canal Issues?

Regular visits to the dentist, and brushing and flossing twice daily, is the best way to prevent tooth decay and dental infection.

Be sure to get immediate care for any chipped, broken, or cracked teeth in order to prevent infection arising.

How Much Does Root Canal Treatment Cost?

Each situation is unique as several factors affect the cost of treatment. These include:

The number of nerves in the tooth.
The position of the tooth in your mouth.
The curvature of the roots of the teeth.
The degree of difficulty for the procedure.
If the infection or decay is worse than initially thought (some problems can not be evaluated until we take a look inside).
If follow-up treatments are required.