Root Canal Treatment

What is root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment is where your Dentist cleans away the infected pump from the root cancel of your tooth and fills it up to prevent further infection.
The roots of your teeth contain root canal with a blood and nerve supply called the pulp, which can become infected, usually due to tooth decay. In the early stages of infection, your tooth might not feel painful, but as the tooth becomes more infected, an abscess can form. The symptoms of an abscess can vary from a dull ache to a severe throbbing pain, and your tooth will probably feel tender when you bite down.

What will my Dentist do?

Most courses of root canal treatment require two visits to the Dentist. Root canal should not be painful and if it does feel sore then you should let your Dentist know immediately so they can stop and make you feel more comfortable.

At the first visit your Dentist will:
Take an x-ray to make sure the tooth is able to be root treated
Numb around the infected tooth with a local anaesthetic
Remove the tooth decay and any old filling material and gain access into the root canal. This feels just like having a filling done and should not be painful.
Remove the infected pulp from the root canal using a tiny file
Wash out the infection and place an antibiotic cream into the root canal
Seal the tooth with a temporary filling and leave it to settle for a week or so
You should not normally need a course of antibiotics as the Dentist has put an antibiotic cream directly into the tooth

At the second appointment the Dentist will:
Numb around the infected tooth with a local anaesthetic
Place a small clamp onto your tooth, with a sheet of rubber over the top to keep your tooth clean and dry during the treatment
Spend time cleaning and shaping the root canal using a series of small files
Fill the root canal with a rubber based filling material called gutta percha to prevent infection returning
Fill the crown of the tooth with either a silver or white filling
Take an x-ray to check the root canal filling

What is the alternative?

The alternative choice is to have the tooth extracted. Once a tooth is infected, it will not heal by itself and isn’t recommended to leave an infected tooth in your mouth.