Root canal treatment

Root canal treatment is necessary when the nerve in a tooth has become irreversibly inflamed. In some cases, it will have completely died off and become infected. This will more than likely present as a painful tooth but may not always be the case. 

Possible signs your tooth may need a root canal treatment:

• It can be extremely tender to bite or chew on.  

• It may also be throbbing and sensitive to changes in temperature (particularly hot liquids).  

• The pain and discomfort may keep you awake at night.  

• The pain is not responsive to pain killers/analgesics.  

• There may also be swelling of the face or gums. 

• A small pimple/boil may be present on the gum near the root of the infected tooth 

Root canal treatment is most commonly undertaken as result of deep decay / fillings, cracked / fractured teeth or trauma. 

If you require root canal treatment, it may involve a number of visits to your dentist. In most cases a crown will be recommended after the actual root canal treatment, to protect the tooth from breaking. 

The process: 

• A local anaesthetic is given. 

• The tooth is isolated from the rest of the mouth using rubber dam 

• The fillings and/or decay is removed from the tooth just like during a regular filling. 

• The dying or dead nerve is removed from the roots of the tooth (canals) and the infection is drained. 

• The canals are cleaned, shaped and disinfected using a combination of small dental files and irrigation solution. 

• In some cases, a dressing may be placed for a few weeks until the pain has subsided before the root canal treatment is finalised. 

• Once the tooth is symptom free the canals of the tooth are filled with a rubber-like material and a filling is placed into the cavity. 

• Dental X-rays may be taken before, during and after treatment to help look inside the tooth and check how treatment is progressing.  

For further information visit Root Canal Treatment | teeth.org.au