DENTAL TREATMENTS

Inside teeth and their roots is a soft tissue called pulp that contains nerve and blood vessels. If a tooth is decayed or has had repeated dental treatment or fractures, bacteria can enter the root canal and cause the pulp to become infected or inflamed. An infected nerve may cause pain and can lead to abscesses. Sometimes this happens without any pain at all.

The aim of root canal treatment is to prevent or treat this infection. We use gentle cleaning and antibacterial washes inside the tooth to gently rinse dirt away. An antiseptic dressing may be left inside the tooth for several days, and the root canals are then filled to prevent re-entry of bacteria into the root canals.

Root canal treatment is carried out under local anaesthetic and there may be some sensitivity afterwards, which normally settles down in 48 hours and can be relieved with painkillers. Depending on the complexity of the case, treatment may be carried out in one to two sessions, with each session lasting between one and two hours.

Root canal treatments have a bad reputation for pain, but we find that our treatments rarely cause problems and in fact the pain is usually when a patient has delayed having the treatment!

There is good evidence that putting a crown on a root filled tooth does improve the success rates of the root fillings. This advice is particularly relevant for a back tooth as a crown covers the whole tooth, reducing the likelihood of any further breakages or problems. VIDA may recommend a crown for your tooth following a root canal treatment.