Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy, otherwise known as "endodontic treatment" is needed when the dental pulp or the nerve tissue that is in the centre of a tooth gets infected or inflamed. Cavities, cracks, and trauma to a tooth can all cause the tooth nerve to become inflamed and then infected. If left untreated, this can cause pain or lead to an abscess. Symptoms can include long lasting temperature sensitivity, discolouration of the tooth, pain when chewing, spontaneous pain, swelling of the surrounding gums or face or general tenderness of the tooth or gums. Early treatment can make the procedure more comfortable. It is  best not to delay treatment if you can help it!

Endodontic treatment can often be performed over one or two appointments, and is most commonly done using regular dental freezing. It is not a painful procedure. During treatment, the unhealthy pulp tissue is removed, and the inside of the tooth is carefully cleaned and then sealed with a special root filling material. All work is done using a strong microscope and a very powerful light to help us see better.After your root canal treatment is completed, you will be asked to return to your dentist, who will place a crown or other type of suitable filling on the exposed part of the tooth to protect and restore it to full function.

Root Canal Re-Treatment

The vast majority of teeth that undergo a root canal procedure can last a lifetime without ever needing further treatment. Occasionally a tooth that has been previously root canal treatment fails to heal or becomes reinfected. This can happen because of new cavities, loose or broken fillings, a traumatic incident, or simply due to complex internal anatomy of the tooth and root.  In these cases, endodontic retreatment can be considered as second chance to save your tooth. 

In order to perform a retreatment procedure, often complex restorative (filling) materials, such as crown, post, and core material, must be disassembled and removed to allow access to the root canals. This is done with routine dental freezing, as with regular root canal procedures, and is not painful. During retreatment, the old root filling materials that were placed in the root canals during the first procedure will be removed. The tooth will be carefully examined to look for any extra canal spaces or hairline cracks. Then the inside of the root will be meticulously re-cleaned. All work is done using a strong microscope and a very powerful light to help us see better. A new root filling material will then be placed inside the root to seal the canals. The top of the tooth will then be sealed with a temporary filling. Once the re-treatment procedure is complete, you will be asked to return to your dentist who will place a crown or other type of suitable filling on the exposed part of the tooth to protect and restore it to full function.

When retreatment is being considered for an infected tooth, endodontic surgery is also an alternative option. The surgery involves making an incision near the end of the root to allow the tip of the root to be sealed. Endodontic surgery may be recommended in conjunction with retreatment or as an alternative. Your endodontist will discuss your options and recommend appropriate treatment.

The other option is extraction of the tooth. The extracted tooth must then be replaced with an implant, bridge, or removable partial denture to restore chewing function and to prevent adjacent teeth from shifting. Because these alternatives require surgery or dental procedures on adjacent healthy teeth, they can be far more costly and time consuming than retreatment and restoration of the natural tooth.

Surgery

Surgery is often a final option for teeth that remain infected or have an otherwise inaccessible area. While Endodontic surgery is certainly an advanced procedure, rest assured that our team at EndoCare are highly qualified to provide you with the best care possible.

Where as normal root canal treatment will involve us accessing the root of the tooth through the crown, surgery involves making an incision in the gum to allow us to seal the root from the other side. This may be done as a stand-alone procedure or in conjunction with conventional root canal treatment.

The most common procedure is what’s known as an ‘apicectomy’. This involves making an incision in the gum and removing the very tip of the root. The end of the root canal may be sealed with a small filling. A few stitches or sutures, normally placed to help the tissue heal properly.

If you have questions about root canal treatment or Endodontic surgery, please feel free to contact us and speak to a member of our team who will be more than happy to help you in any way that they can.