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What is root canal treatment?
Who needs root canal
treatment?
If a tooth receives a lot of
abuse through decay, trauma or very large fillings, the pulp of the
tooth (which contains the blood and nerve supply to the tooth) can die
and become infected. When this occurs there are generally only two
options: Root canal treatment or extraction.
Occasionally an elective root
filling may be carried out on a tooth. This is usually to allow for the
crowning of a very worn tooth, or to prepare
the tooth for an overdenture.
How long does root canal
treatment take?
If a root canal system is
only mildly infected, then treatment is best carried out in one visit.
A grossly infected tooth will
require at least two visits. The dentist must ensure the root canal
system is sterile before placing the root filling material.
The appointment length varies
due to the complexity of the root canal system.
Teeth which have only one straight canal can be treated in a much
shorter time than molar teeth. A tooth that has been filled for
many years in an elderly patient will be much more difficult to fill
than an unrestored tooth in a young patient.
Generally appointments are
30-90 minutes in length.
How long do root canal
treatments last?
Average life expectancy for a
root filling is 8-10 years. This is influenced by many factors. Your
dentist will inform you if there are any factors which will adversely
affect the outcome of your treatment.
Do root canal fillings
hurt?
Treatment should be
completely painless.
Occasionally very inflamed
pulps will not respond to normally placed local anaesthetic. In these
situations you will experience discomfort until the dentist can properly
anaesthetise the tooth. Any discomfort you experience is relatively
minor compared to the toothache that an inflamed pulp will give you!
After treatment you may
experience discomfort for a while, especially if the medicaments that
the dentist uses irritate the tissues around the tip of the root. We
advise that you take your normal painkiller whilst you are still numb to
combat this.
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The top of the tooth is opened so decay can
be removed |
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Bacterial infection of the pulp causes inflammation. |
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The canals are cleaned out. |
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The canals are packed with
gutta
percha (a rubber type material).
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A filling is
inserted. Most root filled teeth will need crowning, this is
best done immediately, but sometimes the dentist may wish to
delay crowning the tooth for 6 months. |
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