Root Canal Treatments

Treating infections inside a tooth

Root canal treatment (endodontics) is a dental procedure to eliminate any infection from inside the tooth. It’s common for this infection to be called an abscess in the tooth. This is a procedure that involves cleaning and disinfecting the inside of the infected tooth. It’s sealed to stop the infection coming back. In general, treatment will be administered over one or two visits.

Root canal treatment

Root canal treatment process

Root canal treatment
Not painful and can save a tooth from being removed

One of the greatest fears of root canal treatment is that it is a painful procedure, but in actual fact, is relatively painless. A “root canal” is the hollow part of a tooth that contains the nerve tissue, blood vessels, and other cells, also known as the pulp. If this pulp becomes infected, you may experience pain when eating, chewing or biting – especially hot or cold food stuffs.

As the infection progresses, these symptoms often disappear as the pulp dies. However, the tooth has not healed, and the infection has in fact spread through the root canal system. In these cases pain when eating will return along with the possibility of swelling around the gum, cheek or jaw and or oozing pus.

If you develop a toothache, it’s therefore important you see your dentist, as if your tooth is infected, the pulp cannot heal by itself. These issues will only worsen over time if left untreated.

Root Canal Treatment Process

Root canal treatment is needed when dental X-rays show that the pulp has been damaged by a bacterial infection. Treatment is undertaken in a 3 stage process…

1. Cleaning the root canal
First, the dentist will need to the bacteria from inside the root canal system (root canal treatment). Under local anaesthetic, the procedure should be painless and no more unpleasant than having a filling. The dentist makes a small access hole on the surface of the tooth in order to remove the diseased and dead pulp tissue.

2. Filling the root canal
Once the bacteria has been removed, and infection eliminated, the dentist will clean, shape and decontaminate the now hollow area. This is then filled with a rubber-like material, using an adhesive cement to seal the root canal completely.

3. Adding a crown or filling
A root-filled tooth is more fragile than it was before and more likely to break than healthy unrestored teeth. Therefore, your dentist may suggest placing a crown on the tooth to help protect it.

See dental crowns for details.

Root Canal Prices

Root Canal Treatment
Price on discussion due to varying cases of complexity TBC

Enquiries and Bookings
For more information, enquiries and bookings regarding root canal treatments, please contact Bramley Dental Practice in Rotherham.

Telephone: 01709 700780