Root Canal Treatment
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words “Root Canal Treatment?” PAIN! It isn’t uncommon to hear many horror stories about how painful this treatment can be. But it needn’t be that way, especially with the advances made in dentistry.
Today most root canal treatments can be completed painlessly within a day. Considering root canal treatments are the most common dental procedures performed, this simple procedure can help save an irreversibly damaged tooth and prevent the need for expensive tooth replacements.
Anatomy of a tooth
Every tooth has three layers – the outermost hard protective layer that we can see called Enamel, a middle softer layer called Dentin and the innermost soft tissue-like layer called the Pulp.
The Pulp contains nerve fibres, arteries, veins, lymph vessels, and connective tissue. Each tooth’s nerve enters the tooth at the very tip of its roots. From there, the nerve runs through the centre of the root in small “root canals,” which join up with the tooth’s centre – the pulp chamber. A tooth can have one to multiple root canals.
What is a Root Canal Treatment?
Deep cavities/decay, trauma to the tooth, cracks and chips, and repeated dental restorations are some of the causes of pulpal infection and irreversible damage.
This leads to several symptoms indicative of the need for a root canal treatment:
• Pain while biting and chewing down on food
• Lingering sensitivity to temperature changes caused by hot & cold food, drinks
• Tooth discolouration
• Swelling and pain in the surrounding areas
• Pus surrounding the affected tooth
• The tooth feels looser
• Facial swelling
This damaged pulp cannot supply blood and nutrients to the tooth nor prevent it from decay. If left untreated, it will lead to severe pain, infection (can lead to fever and blood poisoning), bone loss and eventually tooth loss.
Sometimes the dental pulp may be irreversibly damaged without any obvious symptoms. With the help of a thorough examination, X-Rays and other diagnostic tests we will be able to guide you with the best treatment option available for you.
During the root canal procedure, we numb your tooth and the surrounding areas with a local anaesthetic to ensure that treatment is comfortable with little to no pain. Then the diseased pulpal tissue is removed completely and the canals are thoroughly cleaned, disinfected, reshaped and sealed with a sterile filling. The tooth is then restored with a crown or composite filling to ensure adequate support and prevent tooth fracture or failure of the root canal treatment.
Root Canal Treatment Aftercare
Nowadays recovering from a root canal doesn’t take very long. You may experience mild discomfort or inflammation for two to three days posttreatment if at all, which can be easily treated with over-the-counter pain medications. Our treatment is so comfortable that most patients don’t feel much other than some numbness for a few hours after the treatment and they feel comfortable enough to go to school or work on the same day.
Immediately after the treatment, we recommend that you wait until the numbness wears off to eat something soft and cold to avoid accidentally biting or scalding your tongue, cheeks or lips.
Over the next few days, we advise you to avoid hard and crunchy foods and preferably eat from the opposite side to keep the pressure on the treated tooth to a minimum. Continue brushing gently including the treated tooth.
Holistic way of treating Root Canals
We are often asked about holistic ways in which a tooth requiring a root canal can be treated. At Leichhardt Dental Centre, we are open to all perspectives of treatment and believe that each case needs to be assessed individually based on the patient’s oral and systemic health to make sure that we provide the best option for the treatment to be a success.
Our Practice
Leichhardt Dental Centre is committed to providing you with highest quality of dental care. We use cutting edge technology with a strong scientific backing, but our number one priority is your comfort and health. For non-judgemental, friendly, evidence based and cost-effective dental care become a part of our Family!