Root Canal

Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy corrects disorders of the dental pulp – the soft tissue inside the tooth that contains nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue. Traditionally this involved removing the tooth but now (in 95 percent of these cases) the natural tooth can be saved through modern endodontic procedures.

An endodontist (also called pulp specialist) is a specialist in root canal therapy.

The most common causes of pulpal nerve damage are:

• Physical irritation – generally brought on by aggressive tooth decay (cavity) reaching down to the nerve or through deep fillings. This allows harmful bacteria to reach the nerve and results in infection.
• Trauma – a blow to a tooth or the jaw can cause damage to sensitive nerve tissue within the tooth.

Though there are individual differences, symptoms of pulpal nerve damage generally include:

• pain in the tooth when biting down
• tooth pain while chewing
• oversensitivity of the teeth with hot or cold drinks
• facial swelling.

Without treatment, the infection of the dental pulp will spread to the bone around the tooth making it no longer able to hold the tooth in place.

Treatment

Treatment begins with the initial removal of the tooth crown (or top) to allow access to the pulpal tissue. The affected area is removed and the area surrounding and containing the pulpal tissue is carefully cleaned, enlarged, and shaped to provide a clean, bondable surface for filling with permanent filler. This prevents any further infection and discomfort.

After filling, a crown is fabricated to complete the rescue and restoration of the natural tooth.

The procedure is generally spread over several visits to ensure the infected pulp and associated bacteria have been adequately drained.

At Gentle Dental Care we have a specialist Endodontist on staff to treat even the most difficult cases. If you suspect you have a problem call us now to organise consultation.