Root canal treatment is a dental treatment that is required when the pulp inside a tooth has been affected. The problem can be as a result of injury to the mouth, tooth decay or tooth damage. Either way, when the pulp becomes affected, root canal treatment is required to avoid the spread of the infection which can lead to severe discomfort or dental abscess, and even worse loss of tooth through tooth extraction.
At Addiscombe Dental Surgery, when you contact us for a root canal treatment process, our dentists will prevent the infection from spreading and also preserve your teeth by using advanced treatment and techniques to perform the root canal treatment. The local anesthetic that will be administered to you will make you feel no pain at all during the procedure, and all kind of infection will be removed from the root canal. After this, the root will be cleaned and filled temporarily to prevent infection from setting in and also to give the tooth time to settle down. During your next visit, the dentist will check on the tooth and then proceed to fill the root permanently with a material known as gutta-percha. For increased protection, a crown can be added after which the tooth begins working like a normal tooth.
There are patients who suffer from sever toothache without feeling any kind of pain. This is why it is important to visit your dentist so they can determine if you need a root canal treatment or not. Through clinical examination and routine radiography, an endodontist will determine if you need a root canal treatment or not. Sometimes, the patient can experience toothache at the initial stage, but after a dose or two of antibiotics, the pain disappears, leading them to believe the problem is gone. Once you experience any pain in your tooth or teeth, visit a dentist or endodontist as soon as you can. Besides checking for root canal problems, they will also conduct examinations to fish out any other problem you might have.
Endodontists are specialists that have undergone two or more years of specialised dental training in a dental school. They are root canal specialists that utilise state-of-the-art equipment like fibre optics and ultrasonic instrumentation to treat patients.
Many patients have reported feeling comfortable during the process due to the use of highly advanced and modern equipment that make the process virtually pain-free. The endodontist knows how to deal with the pain, and in the end, the whole process is not anymore uncomfortable than a filling.
Although the process averagely take about 1 or 2 hours, the time will also depend on the details of the procedure you need. You may have to visit the endodontist twice in order to complete treatment.
After your root canal treatment has been completed, the treatment report will be assessed by your dentist. The dentist will decide on the best type of restoration that will protect your tooth or teeth. It could either be a partial crown or a full crown.
Although x-rays are necessary during the treatment, you have no reason to worry about it afterwards. This is because, the advance and computerised system known as radiography produces lower radiation dose as compared to the conventional manual x-ray machines. This will not affect you later on.
The work of every dental professional is to preserve your natural tooth. Tooth extraction can only be an option when there is no other alternative that can work. Getting an artificial tooth may not always be the best as they can have an impact on the food you eat. There are various dental procedures that can provide lasting solution to your dental problem without permanently damaging your tooth. The best way to avoid tooth extraction is to care for your teeth and maintain good dental hygiene.
At Addiscombe Dental Surgery, our endodontists are on hand to provide root canal treatment to damaged or infected dental pulp. Get in touch with us today by sending us an email at info@addiscombedental.co.uk
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