Endodontics

If dental decay or trauma penetrates deep inside the tooth, it can reach the dental pulp, a bundle of soft tissue and nerve endings at the centre of the tooth. This causes painful inflammation, which can spread to the surrounding gum and sometimes create an abscess in the jaw bone. When this happens, your dentist will need to carry out a root canal treatment to remove the infected pulp, relieve the pain and seal up the tooth to protect it against further infection.

If you experience sudden intense pain, sensitivity to hot and cold foods, discoloration of the tooth or swelling of the gums, visit your dentist immediately for an examination. Sometimes the initial symptoms subside because the inflamed dental pulp dies off – but this is a temporary reprieve and symptoms usually return more intensely as the infection moves into the areas around the tooth – often causing an abscess to form.

A root canal treatment required the dentist to open up the tooth to access the pulp chamber. Suction is used to remove the infected pulp, and a material called gutta percha is sued to fill and seal the pulp chamber and root canals, protecting against future decay. In many cases, Biodentine can be used to save the pulp and promote the production of a protective layer of dentine.

No! Root canal is always carried out under local anaesthetic, and you will be able to signal to the dentist to stop if at any point you feel any discomfort.

Once your root canal is complete, you will need to return for a permanent restoration to protect the tooth structure – usually a filling or crown. One review of a number of studies found that 90% of root-treated teeth survive for 8-10 years. The survival of your tooth depends on a number of factors, including: - how much of the natural tooth remains after cleaning decay - how well you clean your teeth and the strength of your bite.