Root Canal Treatment
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What is Root Canal Treatment?
Root canal treatment refers to a dental procedure that replaces a tooth’s damaged or infected pulp with a root filling. The pulp is the tooth’s lifeline – its vessels, tissue fibres and nerves in the central hollow of the tooth keep it alive. The procedure to replace this damaged or infected pulp is also known as endodontic treatment.
The success rates for endodontic treatment are generally high. About 90 to 95 per cent of people who undergo root canal treatment can expect a functional tooth after the treatment. The treated tooth should last a very long time, provided that you maintain good oral hygiene, avoid consuming too much sugar and have regular dental check ups. Of course, no therapy or replacement will last as well as a healthy tooth.
Symptoms of tooth pulp damage or disease
A diseased tooth pulp may cause inflammation. The symptoms of a damaged or diseased tooth pulp may include:
unprovoked or spontaneous pain
sensitivity to hot and cold drinks and foods
pain when biting or chewing
swelling of the gum near the affected tooth
facial swelling
Root canal procedure
You may need more than one visit to complete the root canal treatment, depending on the difficulty of the procedure. The exact procedure chosen by your dentist may differ from the procedure outlined here. Ask your dentist for further information.
Root canal treatment has four main aims:
- removing active decay and infection – any old fillings, tooth decay, infected nerve tissue, pus and debris are removed
- shaping the canals – to be filled well, the canals within the tooth root need to be shaped into smooth, hollow tunnels that are free of irregularities where residual bacteria may sit. This shaping process involves small instruments, special disinfectants and medication. It may take a few weeks to months for these solutions to take maximum effect against stubborn bacteria within the tooth, and this step may have to be repeated several times
- filling the canals – to prevent bacteria from re-infecting the empty canals in your tooth, they are permanently sealed with a long-lasting barrier material
- making the tooth functional again – to make sure no bacteria from the mouth can leak back into the tooth, a large, well-sealed restoration is put on the tooth. Teeth that require root canal treatment have sometimes lost a lot of tooth structure due to previous decay or cracks, and may require further protection in the form of posts, crowns or other similar materials.