Root canal treatment (also called Endodontics) is needed when the pulp inside your tooth becomes infected through tooth decay or damaged by an injury to your mouth. The aim of root canal treatment is to remove infection and prevent further pain and fill the root canals to prevent further damage. Therefore, choosing a root canal specialist for your treatment is always recommended.



The root canal is a thin channel that exists in the roots of the teeth. Normally these channels are filled with nerves and blood vessels that supply the tooth. The root canal system may become compromised (infected and/or painful) and need root canal treatment.
The most common cause of a tooth infection is tooth decay, tooth trauma, or a poorly fitting restoration such as a filling or a crown. These conditions can cause bacteria to enter the pulp of the tooth. The blood vessels and nerves reside in the pulp of the tooth. This can become inflamed and begin to die. The dead cells and bacteria progress to form an infection. A root canal specialist is required to remove the infection and prevent further damage.
During the early stages of infection, pain may be minimal or even non-existent. As the infection develops, you may get pain or swelling. When there are no symptoms, the infection may only be visible to your dentist on examination. In these situations, the dentist would normally see a small spot or opening on the gum (called a sinus tract) where the infection has created a path to come out of the bone. Sometimes the dentist can also see a shadow at the bottom of the root on the x-ray

Signs and symptoms:

The main symptoms of early infection are tenderness to bite on and/or pain to hot and cold that lasts more than a few seconds. The longer you leave the infection to spread through the root canal system, the more painful it may become until you feel a constant toothache. In serious cases or in advanced infection, a dental abscess may form, which will present as swelling of the gum or even the face. To find out more about root canal treatment, contact our team today.

Treatment options:

A tooth infection can only be treated by either root canal treatment or removal of the tooth. Antibiotics are only a temporary measure until you can have the infection treated properly. Antibiotics will not remove the infection permanently. We recommend visiting a root canal specialist for prompt treatment. The cost of root canal treatment will vary depending on the location and complexity.

What happens if you do not treat a tooth infection?

If a tooth infection is left untreated, the surrounding bone will be affected, and bone will be lost. A small infection may develop into an abscess or even a swelling of the face that may need urgent treatment in the hospital. To avoid this, we recommend root canal treatment in with us.

Treatment Procedure:



Consultation

Before starting treatment, it is important to see our specialist Endodontist, Dr Divya for a consultation. At this appointment, Dr Divya will assess your tooth and take some x-rays in order to diagnose and plan your treatment accurately. The consultation is an important and integral part of your root canal treatment. Every patient is different and unique, with different expectations, past dental experiences and levels of anxiety. Dr Divya will discuss all options with you and answer all your questions before commencing treatment. This way the treatment as a whole can be tailored specifically to you in order to achieve a positive treatment experience and a successful outcome.

How many appointments are needed for root canal treatment?

Depending on various factors, the treatment can be done in a single session, start to finish or in multiple sessions. This will be discussed with you at your consultation.

Local anaesthesia

Using specific techniques and advanced equipment, you will receive a local anaesthetic and the treatment overall should feel no different to having an ordinary filling placed.

Procedure

Once the root canal has been accessed via the crown the canals are thoroughly cleaned using precisely measured files and disinfected with antibacterial irrigants. If carried out in multiple root canal surgery appointments, the canals will then be dressed with antibacterial medication and a temporary filling placed.

Once the canals have been thoroughly cleaned, they are shaped to receive the root filling material, a rubber-based material called Gutta Percha, coated in an antimicrobial sealant paste. The root canal system is a very complex system with many fine asymmetric irregularities three-dimensionally.

The Gutta-Percha is therefore compressed into the root canal system with heat so that it can shape itself and fit the root canal system most optimally in all three dimensions. The gutta-percha then cools and solidifies forming the permanent root canal filling.

After the root canal treatment has been completed, the top part of the tooth is then sealed up with a core restoration. You will then be referred back to your dentist for the permanent restoration that goes on top of the core restoration.

Complicated Teeth

Can root canal treatment be carried out on teeth with complications?

Our endodontists are also able to treat complicated teeth that would otherwise need to be extracted. If the root canal has a perforation from previous treatment, we can repair this. If there is a fractured portion of the instrument separated in the canal from previous treatment we will most often be able to bypass or remove this for you. If there is a post in the root canal, we can either remove it for you or provide root treatment from the other end of the tooth, known as an apicectomy or apical microsurgery.

An apicectomy is also useful if it is not possible to access the tooth from the crown (top). If a previous root canal treatment is perfectly filled but for some reason has still failed, we may carry out Endodontic microsurgery to treat the infection .

If a tooth has multiple roots and one root has too many complications, we can carry out root resection surgery to remove the infected failing portion and thereby restoring the rest of the tooth.

What happens after the root canal treatment?

After root canal treatment, the tooth may become brittle as there is no longer a live blood supply within the tooth. It is important to prevent the tooth from future cracks and breakages so that you can increase the lifetime of the tooth. The most effective solution is to place a crown or onlay over the tooth. This is more durable and stronger than a composite filling and reduces the risk of tooth fracture or re-infection of the roots

What is the success rate for root canal treatment?

The success rate for root canal treatment can be high as 98% when carried out by a specialist. A successfully treated tooth will normally survive for years afterwards, in most cases for a lifetime.