Nobody likes tooth ache and having to lose a an infected tooth can add a further sting to the tale. Root canal treatment (also called ‘endodontics’) is an alternative to tooth extraction in cases where the nerve inside your tooth becomes infected due to tooth decay or is damaged by an injury to your mouth. Infection may spread through the root canal system and could eventually lead to an abscess, causing a great deal of discomfort and swelling. If root canal treatment is not carried out, the tooth may need to be taken out.
Root canal treatment involves the following:
- Your friendly dentist will discuss with you your particular condition and treatment options and costs
- Local anaesthetic will be administered painlessly to ensure no discomfort is felt during treatment.
- The tooth will be gently prepared to allow access to the root canal system inside the tooth.
- The root canal system will be thoroughly cleaned out to aiming to remove all infection from the tooth.
- The root canal system is then filled with antibiotics and sealed temporarily between visits.
- The tooth is checked at a later visit and when all the infection has cleared and the tooth is comfortable the root canal system is permanently filled.
Root canal treatment is a skilled and time-consuming procedure and most courses of treatment will involve two or more visits.
