Root Canal Treatment

Mention ‘root canal treatment’, and many people shudder just hearing it!

Well, sit back and relax… it’s actually the solution, not the issue and will often solve the problems associated with agonising toothache or facial swelling.

If your tooth has been knocked, heavily filled, cracked or decayed, this may lead to pain, infection or darkening of your tooth. If any of these symptoms occur, then there is a possibility that your tooth requires root canal treatment. It is also known as endodontic treatment or root canal therapy.

It is a highly skilled area of dentistry and usually involves several visits, it involves removing and cleaning away the infection inside the nerve of your tooth. On completion of your root canal treatment, a biologically compatible rubber material is sealed inside the nerve to prevent infection from reoccurring.

Around 85% of root canal treatments are successful. We use state-of-the-art electronic cleaning and measuring devices which allow your treatment to be much more comfortable, predictable, safer and faster. A referral to a dentist with specialist interest may be required for a better success rate or due to complications of the nerve canal.

The alternative to root canal treatment is extraction. Often, it is better to save your tooth with root canal treatment, particularly if you don’t want to have a gap. Although it is often better to keep your natural tooth, implants, bridges, or dentures are alternatives if you still prefer to have your tooth extracted.