Do I Need Root Canal Treatment?

Root canal treatment is needed if the tooth’s nerve chamber is violated either by bacteria or trauma.

Commonly referred to as endodontics, root canal treatment is required when the blood or nerve end of the tooth is infected by injury or decay.

Sometimes, bacteria can progress through channels inside the tooth from under a filling or a crack in the tooth. If the nerve chamber becomes infected, there is a risk of an abscess developing in the bone under the tooth.

If the tooth becomes infected, it may spread through its root canal system, leading to an abscess.

An abscess can be acute – very painful, or chronic – no pain at all. No abscess should be left untreated as it damages the bone and can spread the infection.

Whilst antibiotics can treat an abscess in the short term – they do not remove the source of the infection.

The goal of root canal treatment is to remove all the infection from the infected area. A root treatment may be required if an abscess is detected in the mouth or on a regular necessary radiograph.

Root treatments involve cleaning out the entire chamber within the tooth and removing all the infection.

The success of a root treatment can be variable and depends on many factors, including the individual anatomy of the tooth.

The best chance of a root treatment being successful is if an operative microscope is used. We may refer to a specialist if we feel this would give the best outcome.

The infected pulp will be removed at your first appointment, and any abscess areas can be drained. The root canal is cleaned ready for the filling. We then install a temporary filling so the tooth can be left to settle.

We will then check the tooth at a later visit, and when we ensure that all of the infection has cleared, the tooth is permanently filled.

The expert dental team at Cherrybank can carry out this highly skilled and time-consuming root canal treatment.

For more information or to schedule a root canal check, contact the team at Cherrybank today