Root canal treatment is a very common procedure that eliminates nerve problems and abscesses - situations that used to result in extraction of a tooth. Modern Root canal treatments are mostly painless. It is not only more functional but also far more cost-effective in the long term to retain teeth rather than suffer extractions.
The nerve of a tooth is the part that causes pain when a cavity extends through the enamel and dentine. Root canal treatment removes this nerve and replaces it with plastic filling material. Symptoms of “nerve” pain are heat and cold sensitivity, often followed by swelling, pain, bad taste or tenderness to touch.
The nerve is removed using hand instruments and medicaments. The "nerve chamber" is then cleaned, shaped, and filled with a plastic filling material. This results in a tooth that has no sensory nerve feedback - which means you can put ice on it and not feel anything. When a tooth has been successfully root canal treated it will likely remain symptomless for a long time.
This practice has been involved in a large multi-site root canal treatment audit to assess treatment quality and is equipped to provide ultra-modern thermal root fillings using a variety of methods.
Root canal treatment seals the buried root of the tooth from the ingress of micro-organisms, it is just as important to seal the superficial crown of the tooth and hence, once root canal treatment has been assessed as successful a crown may need to be provided.
We use Obtura, thermafil, and system B:
Does it always work?
No. Root canal treatment has a success rate that can be measured in different ways. Success rate here is about 85%. That means that 85% of root filled teeth remain after 5 years. This success rate is improving due to increased quality control and increased referral for more difficult and complicated cases.
If root canal treatment fails the options are to refer to a specialist for re-root canal treatment or an apicetomy or else extract the tooth.
