Root canal treatment (endodontics) to avoid unnecessary tooth extractions

What is the root canal?

A tooth is made up of the root which sits below the gums within the jaw bone and the crown which sits above the gum line.
Within the root is the root canal. It contains blood vessels and nerves and plays an important role in the development of teeth.

Why does the root canal become diseased?

Sometimes the root canal can become damaged. This is often due to tooth decay or tiny cracks within the tooth. Occasionally it can be due to an accident or trauma.
In this situation bacteria will enter the root canal and cause an infection or abscess in the root. This infection may damage the nerves within the tooth and they may eventually die.

How do I know if I have a problem?

Usually if you have an infected or damaged root canal you will experience pain. This is often a throbbing pain. You may also experience sensitivity to hot and cold foods. There may also be some gum swelling.

Sometimes you may have no symptoms but an x-ray or clinical examination will reveal a problem.

What is root canal treatment (endodontics)?

If the root canal has become damaged then the tooth will eventually die and will need to be removed.

However, it is possible to save the tooth with root canal treatment. This is also known as endodontics. This treatment is important because it best to retain all your natural teeth.
The aim of the treatment is to remove the infected tissue from the root canal.
The treatment is carried out in stages. Firstly, the root canals are disinfected. This is then followed by sealing the root with a permanent root filling material. Finally the tooth is restored by placing a crown on top of the root.

 

Is the treatment successful?

We have over 20 years experience of treating root canals. In general root canal treatment is successful in 95% of cases. Unfortunately no one can guarantee 100% success.

Sometimes the tooth may be too badly decayed or have an extensive fracture. Treatment in these cases may not be successful or may not be advised because the prognosis is poor. In this situation the advice will be to have the tooth extracted. The resulting gap can be restored, ideally with a dental implant but also with a bridge or denture.