Root canal treatment

Teeth are held in the jawbone by their roots. Front teeth normally have one root, but teeth further back have more.

In the centre of each tooth is a soft mass of tissue called the pulp. In a healthy tooth, the pulp contains living fibres, cells, nerves and blood vessels responsible for keeping the tooth alive. It extends from the tooth crown into the root through the root canal.

Decay or injury can destroy the living pulp. Because dead pulp lacks blood supply, and is more prone to infection, leading to toothache, abscess or, if untreated, to bone damage ultimately resulted in tooth loss.

Root canal treatment (also known as root filling or endodontics) means removing dead or infected pulp and filling the space left. The remaining tooth can then be repaired- with a filling or a post crown.

What will my dentist do?

An X-ray can show the number and shape of the root canals and also signs of infection in the surrounding bone,
You will be given a local anaesthetic, and then an opening is made through the top of the tooth, down into the pulp,
Then thin files will be used to remove the dead or infected pulp from the core of the tooth and from the root canals,
If treatment cannot be finished on the same visit appropriate medication will be put into the root canal and a temporary filling placed; If required, a course of antibiotics will be given to you as well (usually for 7 days),
In the next stage the root canals are filled using permanent material,
Then a filling or a crown (supported by a post cemented into the filled root canal) is placed to build up the missing part of the tooth.

Root filled teeth can occasionally become darker than other teeth, but bleaching can be used to make them look lighter.

What are the benefits?
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Pulp inflammation or infection can cause toothache but the pain will usually end very quickly after the root canal is cleaned out,
Without root treatment, a tooth with a dead pulp would probably have to be taken out in the end; there is also a possibility of infection spreading beyond the tooth itself,
Root-fillings are usually successful and can last many years; occasionally, if inflammation persists at the tip of the root (called the apex), surgery can be carried out
To remove part of the root surrounded by the infected tissue, the area cleaned and a filling put in; this is known as an ‘apicectomy’.