Root Canal Treatment

To understand root therapy, you must first understand the basic structure of a tooth.

The tooth has 4 layers –

Enamel – the hard outer layer of tooth
Dentine – the softer inner layer of tooth
Cementum – the hard material that coats the root’s surface
Pulp Chamber – this tissue contains blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue, needed for early development stages

A fully formed adult tooth can survive without the pulp as it continues to be nourished by the soft tissues surrounding it.

Root therapy (aka root canal treatment) is a process in which the pulp of the tooth is removed due to damage and infection, and replaced with gutta-percha (a plant based thermoplastic). Damage to a pulp can be caused by dental caries progressing through the layers of the tooth and penetrating the pulp chamber, trauma (fracture/breakage), preparing a tooth too close to the pulp chamber and causing exposure or advanced periodontal disease . Infection to a pulp is caused by bacteria entering the pulp chamber. Once a bacterial infection has spread inside the pulp chamber, it multiplies, eventually causing symptoms such as:

Pain when eating or drinking hot or cold food and drink
Pain when biting or chewing
A loose tooth

These are the first signs that something is not right, and you should get your tooth checked as soon as possible if you notice any of these symptoms. If left, the infection will eventually cause the pulp to die, and these symptoms disappear, giving the impression that the tooth has healed. This is far from the case, and the infection has spread through the canal system, ultimately leading to further symptoms such as:

A returning pain when biting or chewing
Swelling of the gum near the affected tooth
Pus oozing from the affected tooth
A swollen cheek or jaw
The tooth becoming a darker colour

For many people, these latter stage symptoms are the first signs of anything being wrong with their tooth, and seek immediate treatment for infection with antibiotics. Although antibiotics help with the infection on a short term basis, they will never truly remove the cause of the infection. The only way to do this is by removal of the dead pulp – root therapy.

Root therapy aftercare

Once a tooth has been root filled, it is important to look after it.

If you have had local anaesthetic, it may take up to 4-6 hours for the effects to wear off. During this time, please ensure that you refrain from chewing your lip, inner cheek, tongue or soft tissues and drinking hot drinks to avoid unwittingly causing trauma to the area.
Your mouth has been worked on, so there may naturally be a small amount of tenderness, bruising and sensitivity to the area for a couple of days. If there are still worsening symptoms of pain after 7 days, contact the practice for advice.
If you do not have a crown fitted, be extra careful on biting and chewing with the tooth. The strength of the tooth structure has been compromised and should be treated with care.
If you have symptoms of swelling, pain, sensitivity to heat, or abscess around the treated tooth in the subsequent months, contact the practice immediately for advice.

Root Canal Treatment

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