Sometimes bacteria from decay or the oral environment travels further into the tooth and affects the pulp (which is composed of the nerves and the blood supply of the tooth).
It is very important to have a healthy pulp and so here at Leicestershire Dental Studio we recommend attending regularly for comprehensive dental examinations to minimise problems with your teeth.
Root canal treatment (more technically known as ‘endodontic treatment’), is carried out in order to save a tooth whose nerve supply has been infected or inflamed by decay, leaking fillings or injury.
Sometimes a root canal may be carried out electively as part of a more complex treatment plan. The infected pulp is removed and the root canal system is cleaned and filled to prevent further infection getting into the root of the tooth.
Sometimes patients may experience symptoms such as a very bad toothache, signs of infection including a dental abscess or they may have noticed a tooth which is several shades darker than than their surrounding teeth all of which may indicate the need for root canal treatment.
The only way to really know if root canal treatment is required is to visit your dentist for a comprehensive dental examination which will include a full assessment of your teeth as well as detailed radiographs (x-rays) of your tooth and roots, and other special tests and investigations to assess the health of the pulp.
After confirming the diagnosis and confirming the plan for a root canal treatment, you will be booked with our root canal dentist. He will ensure you feel no pain throughout the treatment with careful use of local anaesthetic, and gold standard isolation of your tooth/teeth with rubber dam. The root canal system will be carefully cleared of infection and bacteria with a systematic approach. All of the treatment will be completed under high-magnification microscope to ensure excellence in your treatment.
Throughout the treatment, the root canal expert will take some x-rays to ensure the most accurate result and therefore the best possible outcome. The root canal system, once completely clean, will be carefully filled to form a tight seal. After the treatment, you can return to our restorative dentists to restore the tooth with either a direct or indirect restoration.
Root canal treatment is, in most cases, completed in a single visit. In cases of severe infection, or complicated anatomy, a follow-up visit may be required to complete the procedure.
Root canal treatment carries a high success rate but is not always one hundred percent successful. Studies have shown in 9 out of 10 cases a tooth can survive up to 10 years after root canal treatment.
This can be dependent on the care of your teeth and supporting gums and ensuring you maintain excellent oral hygiene. To further increase the success of a root canal treated tooth we will usually advise having a crown or an onlay to further strengthen the tooth to stop it from breaking in future.
This will also to help prevent bacteria from re-entering the system by properly sealing the tooth and the root canal system.
Some patients opt to remove the offending tooth instead of having root canal treatment. In cases where the tooth is infected, by removing the source of infection you solve the problem, however there will be a gap where the tooth was.
We do provide a number of options to help with replacing missing teeth, including removable dentures, bridges, and the gold standard in implant treatment.
It is important to consider if you want the gap replaced, and to discuss your options carefully before committing to an extraction, as it is always sensible and useful to plan treatment carefully for the best long term outcome.
Dr Jesal is our in-house dentist with a special interest in endodontics.
Jesal aims to deliver high quality patient care with the aid of magnification and works with a dental operating microscope for his root canal treatment procedures.
He is passionate about his work and is always seeking to improve his skills. Dr Jesal has had especially good results with anxious and nervous patients using his calm nature and listening skills to make even our nervous patients look forward to their appointments.
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