Root Canal
This dental procedure is carried out when the innermost part of the tooth ‘the pulp’ becomes badly decayed or infected. If left untreated, the tooth will begin to die which could lead to the loss of the tooth. To save the tooth, the infected pulp needs to be removed to prevent the formation of an abscess. In dental terms this procedure is called ‘Endodontics.’ This procedure can be highly effective in saving badly infected teeth, prolonging their life for many years as an adult tooth can function perfectly well without the pulp. If you do require root canal therapy then there is no need to worry as treatment should feel no worse than having an ordinary filling and in fact it can come as something of a relief if you have a badly infected and painful tooth. Afterwards your tooth should feel far more comfortable as it settles down.
Tooth is made up of
- Enamel – The hard outer layer of the tooth.
- Dentine – This forms the core and gives the basic shape to the tooth which supports the enamel, it is softer than enamel but harder than bone.
- Pulp – Is the central part of the tooth which contains nerves and blood vessels and lies within the root canal
The reason the pulp would die
- Caries – If caries ‘decay’ is left it will travel through the enamel and dentine down into the pulp chamber.
- Trauma – A severe knock that affects the pulp.
- Severe Gum Disease – The gum detaches itself from the tooth creating a gap between the tooth and the gum, bacteria then gets trapped causing an infection which can infect the pulp.
The symptoms
- Pain – This can be anything from a constant dull ache to severe pain or pain only when biting.
- A spot or pimple sometimes appears on the gum in the area of the infected tooth, this is where the collection of pus from the root tip is draining which will leave a bad taste in your mouth.
- Swelling in the gum area surrounding your tooth.If you do have toothache then we highly recommend coming to see us here at Werribee Dental Clinic as soon as you can. Root canal treatment is much more successful the earlier it is carried out and of course we can relieve your toothache. Once the infection has been removed, we will need to restore your tooth and this is normally done by covering it up completely with a crown which will protect it against further infection.
Please note that root canal treatment is a treatment that carries risks. Complex cases or complications may need to be referred to an specialist [Endodontist]