Why a root canal treatment?
Root canal treatment provides a common and effective way to relieve dental pain and save a tooth that might otherwise need extraction. Dentists usually recommend this procedure when bacteria cause inflammation or infection in the tooth’s roots.
During the treatment, the dentist carefully removes the infected or damaged pulp, which is the nerve tissue inside the tooth. Then, the dentist cleans, disinfects, and shapes the root canals thoroughly to prepare them for filling. Afterwards, the dentist fills the canals with a special material to replace the removed tissue, and seals the tooth with a restoration, such as a filling or crown, to protect it from further damage.
Dentists typically perform root canal therapy over several appointments to ensure they fully eliminate infection and inflammation before placing the final, permanent seal.
Once your tooth has stabilised after root canal treatment, we recommend placing a crown to give it the best chance of long-term survival. Root canal therapy can leave a tooth more fragile and susceptible to fractures, so a crown is essential for restoring strength, protecting against further damage, and ensuring the tooth remains functional and natural-looking.
The right amount of extra care
Some people may have heard of negative experiences with root canal treatment, which often relate to the interaction between infection and local anaesthetic. When a root canal is needed due to infection, the acidic environment from the infection can reduce the effectiveness of the alkaline local anaesthetic. This results in sometimes making it seem as though the numbing isn’t working properly. We take extra care to assess your tooth, use the appropriate type and amount of anaesthetic, and wait the necessary time before beginning the procedure to ensure your comfort.
If you’d like to learn more about root canal treatment or have concerns about pain, swelling, abscesses, or infection, please contact us as soon as possible so we can assist you promptly.