Root Canal Treatment

Experiencing severe pain from a badly damaged tooth? Don’t pull it out just yet. Ask your dentist if a root canal can save your tooth from extraction.

When will you need a root canal?

“Root canal” refers to the natural cavity inside your tooth that contains the soft dental pulp that is made up of nerves and blood vessels. The dental pulp can be damaged by:

extensive tooth decay
repeated dental procedures on the tooth
large fillings
crack or chip in the tooth
trauma

When the pulp is damaged, it decays and becomes infested with bacteria. The tooth becomes infected and abscess or pus forms at the end of the roots. The abscessed tooth can cause pain and swelling that may spread to the other areas of your head and neck. If left untreated, an abscessed tooth can cause other serious dental problems.

What is a root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment or endodontic therapy is a procedure that removes the infected, injured or dead pulp and nerves from your tooth.

The pulp and nerves of the tooth are not vital. Once your tooth fully develops and emerges from the gum line, the function of the pulp and nerves of your tooth becomes limited to providing you sensations of heat and cold. Removing the pulp and nerves will not affect the functioning of the tooth.

After the pulp and nerves are removed, the tooth is cleaned, disinfected and filled. A root canal treated tooth should be restored with a crown to protect the tooth, prevent it from breaking and restore its function.

How long will a root canal treated tooth last?

A root canal treated tooth can darken and become brittle over time. To maintain its aesthetics and to prevent it from breaking, the root canal treated tooth should be restored and protected with a dental crown. With proper care, good oral hygiene and regular dental visits, a root canal treated tooth can last you a lifetime.

Are root canals successful?

Yes. Root canal treatment has a success rate of over 95%. In the rare instance that it fails, the tooth can still be retreated by redoing the root canal. When retreatment still fails and nothing can be done anymore to save the tooth, extraction will already be recommended by your dentist.

Is the root canal procedure painful?

No. Patients say that getting a root canal is just like getting a dental filling. Local anesthesia is used to numb the surrounding areas of the tooth before the root canal procedure starts.

What is the process of a root canal treatment?

A root canal treatment may take one to several visits depending on the treatment plan of the dentist. If your tooth is infected, antibiotics will be prescribed for you to take before proceeding with the root canal treatment on your next appointment. If you have an abscessed tooth and the abscess is large, the pus may be drained first before undergoing the procedure.

1. Consultation

The first step to having a root canal treatment is consultation. During the consultation, our dentist will personally examine your teeth, evaluate your case, advise you of your options and provide you with a detailed treatment plan. Photographs and x-rays of your teeth will also be taken during your consult.

2. Removing the dental pulp

First, the dentist will administer local anesthesia to ensure that the procedure will be as comfortable and as pain free as possible. Then a dental dam will be installed to isolate the tooth to be treated.

When everything is ready, the dentist will drill the tooth to create a hole to access the pulp chamber. Using a series of files, the dentist will scrape and scrub the canals to remove the decaying and diseased pulp.

3. Cleaning the root canals

After the diseased pulp is removed, the dentist will proceed to clean the pulp chamber and canals by flushing water or sodium hypochlorite. The dentist must ensure that the tooth is clear of all infection and is dry before permanently sealing it.

The dentist may delay permanently filling the tooth on the same appointment if the tooth still needs to be drained or treated with antibiotics for a few days. The dentist may also place medication into the chamber to clear any remaining infection. Instead of permanent fillings, the dentist will seal the tooth with temporary fillings until the next appointment.

4. Filling the root canals

After cleaning and drying, the dentist will proceed to fill the interior of the tooth and the canals with a sealer paste and a rubber compound called gutta-percha. The root canal treatment ends when the exterior of the tooth is finally sealed with a permanent dental filling. Congratulations!

5. Crowning the tooth

After completing the root canal procedure, your dentist will recommend protecting the tooth further with a dental crown. As a separate procedure, you may read more about dental crowns in the link below: