Root Canal Treatment

• Severe sensitivity: Our teeth are susceptible in general, and people have different levels of sensitivity. However, when there’s a significant amount of sensitivity that could be felt, it usually means that there’s something not quite right with the roots. When this happens, it often makes it hard to eat or drink.
• Dead nerves: These can be caused by several things like dental decay or cracked teeth. When a tooth is damaged, the nerves are usually affected. When the tooth is at a point where we cannot recover the nerve, a root canal is needed.
• Abscesses: Most abscesses are caused by a bacterial infection and generally lead to swelling and pain, making it hard for a person to bite or chew. These abscesses won’t go away without treatment and are minimally improved with antibiotics alone. If a periapical abscess does not get treated immediately, it could infect other teeth as well as spread to your jaw and other areas of the head and neck.
• Extensive restorations: There are times where a dental or cosmetic restoration could affect other nerves or expose them to infection. Unfortunately this would lead to a root canal.

Root Canal Procedure

A dentist can usually do root canal treatment, but there are severe instances wherein a root canal specialist or an endodontist is needed. These cases typically involve multi-canal procedures or complicated tooth structures.

It is best to always have a thorough consultation with your dentist to know exactly how the procedure will have to take place. But having said that, a root canal treatment typically goes in this manner:

1. X-ray. This is needed for the dentist to know a patient’s tooth structure, the extent of the infection, as well as signs of the infection affecting other teeth or bones. A dentist needs all these records to allow for  a smoother, more successful procedure.
2. Anesthesia. Even if the nerves are already dead, most dentists prefer to numb the tooth or the surrounding area so that patients won’t feel any discomfort or pain. The procedure may not hurt, but it is best to be sure just in case. The anesthesia usually lasts for more than an hour. The dentist will also use a rubber dam to stop the saliva from coming into the area.
3. Extirpation. Once all the liquid is out of the area, and the infected tooth is dry, the dentist will then make a hole on the surface of the tooth. This hole will give access to extract the dead nerves and pulp along with the bacteria and other debris using a small file.
4. Cleaning. The dentist will then start to clean the tooth, commonly using sodium hypochlorite to do so. The tooth is shaped by scrubbing or scraping the root canals using a small file but this part is often done at a second appointment as it can be quite a lengthy procedure.
5. Sealing. Once thoroughly cleaned, the dentist seals the tooth. This is typically done at the third appointment
6. Filling. The last parts of this procedure involves filling the drilled tooth. Once the nerves and pulp are extracted, the tooth is already dead and can be brittle. Filling the tooth with a filler or a crown provides the final seal. Crowns are often indicated and quoted to the patient as part of the root canal procedure. You can liken the crown to putting a roof on a house – it seals and protects all the hard work that’s been underneath.

Where can I get a treatment for my root canal?

If a root canal treatment is something you’re looking at, Stanley Street Dental in Melbourne is the best place to go for a consultation and an appointment. Providing top-quality dental care for years now, you can be guaranteed the best treatment by their dedicated staff led by Dr. Frank Nikakhtar. Should you have any questions, they are more than happy to answer them for you.