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Although the thought of getting a root canal makes people nervous; the treatment is the epitome of pain and discomfort, the reality is that modern dental technologies allow us to remove your tooth’s infected pulp without causing you pain or even undue discomfort.
What is Endodontics?
Endodontics, as root canal therapy is known, is a recommended treatment for severely infected tooth pulp. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call us at Victoria Road Dental Care, as you may need a root canal:
- Excessive sensitivity to hot food and beverages
- Spontaneous, severe, throbbing toothache
- Pain when biting down or chewing
- Facial swelling
- Swollen gum tissue
If any of your teeth are broken, decayed, or you have a loose filling, bacteria can infiltrate the pulp, causing it to become infected. To ensure the efficacy of any future dental treatment, infected tooth pulp must be treated as soon as you can schedule an appointment.
Root Canal Treatment
Although many patients expect endodontic typical root canal treatment requires two appointments to complete, but the number of necessary visits will vary depending on your teeth.
When the procedure begins, we clean the affected tooth using an antibacterial solution. Once the treatment area has been completely numbed using a local anaesthetic, your dentist will remove the top portion of your tooth and clean out the infected pulp.
If more than one treatment is required, medication will be placed in the empty canal to deter further infection before a temporary filling is applied to protect the tooth. When you return, your dentist will put in a permanent filling and seal the tooth to deter re-infection. We may also recommend a dental crown to prevent additional weakening of the tooth structure.
Once your root canal therapy is completed, you can preserve the health of the treatment area by maintaining good oral hygiene, having routine dental examinations, and limiting your intake of sugary food and drinks. Potential problems can always be averted before they arise if you take care of your teeth and additional root canal procedures can be avoided.
Root canal treatment involves the removal of the infected or inflamed dental nerve followed by the cleaning, shaping, disinfection and obturation (filling) of the space that the nerve occupied within the pulp of the tooth. This procedure is usually carried out when a tooth has an abscess or when the nerve at the centre of the tooth has become inflamed due to decay, fracture or a crack. Often the only alternative to this treatment is having the tooth extracted. Following root canal treatment, cusp coverage is recommended for most back teeth (molars and premolars) by way of a crown or onlay to prevent fracture of the tooth and restore strength.
Incisor, canine and premolar teeth generally only have 1-2 root canals so treatment on these teeth is usually more straightforward. Molar teeth have a greater number of root canals and treatment on these teeth can be slightly more complicated. At Victoria Road Dental Clinic, our dentists are highly experienced in providing root canal treatments using modern equipment including rotary Ni-Ti files and apex locators.
Teeth Extraction
If any of your natural teeth become too decayed or damaged to be saved, tooth extraction may be necessary to preserve the health of your adjacent teeth and gums. We will always do all we can do to save teeth, but in some instances this is not always possible.
The most common reasons for tooth extraction include:
Infection: If tooth decay reaches the pulp, infection can result. While this situation is usually treated with root canal therapy, however occasionally the infection is so advanced that extraction may be required to prevent it from spreading further.
Periodontal (gum) disease: If the bone and tissue surrounding your teeth have become infected, your dentist may recommend extraction.
Crowded teeth: Sometimes teeth need to be extracted to prepare your mouth for orthodontic treatment. Likewise, if a tooth can’t erupt through the gum due to lack of room, extraction may be required to help the process. Prior to your treatment, your dentist will examine the tooth and the surrounding tissues to assess their condition and determine the best method of restoring the extracted tooth.
The Extraction Process Explained
Before removing the tooth, your dentist will use a local anaesthetic to numb your tooth, gums, and jawbone. You should not feel any pain as a result during this procedure. If you are overly anxious, we will do all we can to comfort you and make the treatment as anxious free as possible.
Once the compromised tooth is removed, we will apply gauze for you to bite down on to control bleeding. You will rest and recuperate in our surgery until you are ready to be discharged. Postoperative care includes plenty of rest, antibiotics and pain medication as required with special care for the extraction site.
Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Of all your teeth, wisdom teeth are the last to erupt. If they are properly aligned and surrounded by healthy gum tissue, they rarely cause problems. However, if they do not erupt correctly or become impacted, problems like infection, swelling, and pain result. In really severe cases, cysts or tumours form around the teeth, destroying the jawbone and any adjacent healthy teeth. The recommended treatment for these dental emergencies is extraction of the wisdom teeth.
All extractions are performed under the appropriate type of anaesthesia to ensure your comfort. Afterwards, we will give you detailed instructions for the care of your mouth during the recovery period.
If you are experiencing pain or swelling and wonder if a tooth extraction might be necessary, call the Victoria Dental Clinic immediately, so we can get you on the road to recovery.
