Whenever you can keep your own teeth it prevents your other teeth from shifting leading to jaw problems and gum disease. Saving a natural tooth avoids having to replace that tooth with an implant or bridge. This is why we recommend a root canal when your tooth becomes infected.

Teeth are made up of hard layers of enamel, dentin and cementum which surround and protect the root canal system, which is made up of nerves and blood vessels that help the tooth grow and maintain its health (fig1). As an adult, teeth can survive without a pulp. If the pulp becomes damaged or infected, the tooth will require a root canal to alleviate the symptoms and allow you to keep your tooth or the tooth will have to be extracted and replaced (fig2). The tooth can become damaged by a traumatic blow, a long term trauma such as grinding your teeth or a deep decay, all of which lead to the death of the pulp or root canal system. Some times a pulp is infected but it does not hurt. The tooth may turn dark, the gums may swell or the radiograph may show a lesion at the base of your root tip. Typically the tooth will hurt or show the following: Constant throbbing of a single tooth, sensitivity to hot and cold for several minutes or more, pain when chewing, swelling of the gum, loose tooth, draining pus through the tooth or the gum. In all of these cases the pain can be relieved and the tooth can be saved by root canal.

If you suspect you have need for a root canal, book an appointment immediately. If you are in pain call our office we will see you asap. If you can not come in immediately, we will prescribe the appropriate antibiotic to help control the infection, but make the time to have the tooth looked after.

The actual procedure is as follows: a radiograph of the tooth is taken to see how long and what shape the roots are. Topical anaesthetic is used followed by a local anaesthetic to numb your tooth. A small opening is made at the biting surface of your tooth to allow the rotary files to clean and shape the canal system. Once the infected pulp has been removed the canals are dried and filled with a sterile rubber material. If the crown of the tooth is still intact then a filling is placed to seal the root canal, but if the crown is badly broken down, a post will be required to anchor a full coverage crown, (fig 3). The crown will provide a good seal to prevent future contamination of the root canal system and also give the tooth long term predictability in strength to ensure its longevity, (Fig 4).

Whenever possible the root canal will be completed with filling in one appointment. It has been shown to cause the least amount of discomfort and gives the highest success rates, in the high 90's. In most cases the root canal is a success but in a small amount of cases the tooth may require retreatment and or surgery. This may occur due to a cracked root, to remove parts of the root canal that could not be cleaned on the initial attempt or to clear an infection that did not heal with regular treatment.

It is normal to expect a slight discomfort for 2-3 days following a root canal. Just eat softer foods for a few days and you will notice the slight discomfort will fade away.