If you say the words root and canal in the same sentence, many people will shudder, but root canal treatment is actually a painless procedure, which could make the difference between saving and losing a tooth. We understand that many patients are nervous about having root canal therapy and we use anaesthetic to numb the tooth and ensure that you feel completely comfortable during the treatment session.

What is root canal treatment?

For dentists, root canal treatment is a commonly performed procedure, which involves cleaning and sealing the root canals. This treatment is usually recommended when a tooth is infected and the infection has reached the pulp, which is the living tissue of the tooth. Once the pulp is infected, the blood supply to the tooth is reduced and eventually, the tooth will start to die. At this stage there is an increased risk of abscesses and without treatment, there is often little option but to remove the tooth.

When you have root canal treatment, your dentist will numb the tooth completely before starting treatment to make sure you don’t feel any pain. They will then drill into your tooth and remove all the decayed tissue from the root canals. Once the root canals have been cleared and cleaned, they will be sealed using dental material; this stage of the process is designed to prevent the infection from spreading further through the tooth.

Once treatment is complete, it is often advisable to place a new crown over the tooth to make it stronger and protect it in the future. A temporary crown will be placed immediately afterwards and then this will be replaced with the permanent crown when it has been made by dental technicians and returned to us; this usually takes around 2 weeks.