Root Canal Treatment

Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment involves the removal of the infected tooth pulp, followed by sealing the pulp space using a specialised thermoplastic material to prevent contamination and further damage. This advanced procedure aims to preserve the tooth and avoid extraction.

The most common cause of pulp damage is dental caries, followed by dental trauma and orthodontic treatment.

Pain Associated with Different Stages of Dental Caries

The tooth consists of a calcified tissue layer known as the enamel, which gives the tooth its colour. Beneath the enamel lies a more resilient layer called dentine that withstands biting forces, supports the enamel, and helps prevent fractures. At the tooth core is the pulp chamber, which contains the blood vessels and nerves that supply the tooth.

When dental caries begins, it takes a considerable amount of time to penetrate the enamel layer, which is a hard structure. At this stage,you may not experience any pain, but you might observe an area of demineralization or a change in tooth colour in that region.

Once the enamel layer is penetrated, bacteria can easily spread through the dentin, which is less mineralised than enamel. This is when you may experience tooth sensitivity and pain triggered by a stimulus, which subsides once the stimulus is removed.

If you neglect these alarming signs, the bacteria can reach the pulp space. At this stage, you may experience unbearable pain that begins without any apparent stimulus. This pain often starts at night and does not subside with painkillers. The pulp death and subsequent infection will eventually lead to the formation of a dental abscess.

A dental abscess is a condition characterised by an infection in the tooth and its supporting structures, resulting in swelling and severe pain. At this stage, root canal treatment becomes necessary.

Root canal treatment process at Dulwich Dental Office

At Dulwich Dental Office, we utilise the latest technologies to ensure successful root canal treatments, including endodontic microscopes, rotary instruments, apex locators, and digital x-ray. Our endodontic specialists completed over 10,000 root canal procedures, achieving high patient satisfaction and success rates in preserving natural teeth.

Root canal treatment can be quite lengthy. Because the area we are treating is tiny, it requires deep knowledge, skill, patience, and time to access all the pulp canals. Additionally, the need to allow the infected tooth to settle before completing the treatment means you will likely need two or three appointments for the procedure to be completed.

During the first visit, the tooth and its surrounding structures are numbed using local anaesthesia to remove the infected pulp while you are comfortable. Then, all decay is removed, the pulp space is exposed, and all pulp canals are exposed. Special tiny tools are used to thoroughly clean the root canals and remove any residual pulp tissue. As a final step in the cleaning phase, the root canals are shaped in a way that allows easier filling. If there is an active infection, an antibiotic is prescribed, and the tooth is sealed using a temporary filling material and left to heal.

During the following visit, the root canals are filled using a thermoplastic filling material, and the tooth is restored to its original shape using a dental filling material.

Sometimes, a filling will be all you need, but often, the root canal treatment weakens the tooth and will require further strengthening through a dental crown.

Benefits of Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment is the last attempt to save the tooth from extraction. Compared to tooth extraction, root canal treatment is a less painful procedure. It was reported that the pain following a tooth extraction is higher than the slight discomfort you may experience following root canal treatment.

Also, root canal treatment is cost-effective, compared to the restorative solutions available to replace an extracted tooth, such as dental implants and bridges.

Always be certain that nothing is like a natural tooth aesthetically, so it is important to try every way to keep your natural teeth. Extraction is the last solution when every other way fails.