Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy does not create pain – it removes it!

If you’re about to have your first root canal treatment, you might be feeling pretty apprehensive about the whole thing.

After all, everyone has a horror story to share about their horrific experiences.

Before we begin, let us dispel the foremost myth. Root canal therapy does not create pain – it removes it!

Why do you need root canal therapy in the first place?

When the pulp chamber or “nerve” inside the tooth gets infected, the only way to save the tooth is with endodontic treatment or “root canal therapy”.

The possible causes of irreversible nerve damage are:

Trauma. When you have an accident and hit your tooth, from a fall, accident, fight, sporting accident, even biting hard on an olive pip – can cause irreversible damage to the dental pulp.
Decay. If decay is not treated with a filling and is allowed to travel deep into the tooth structure, it will eventually affect the dental pulp (pulp chamber).
Large fillings. These can over time affect the nerve.
Cracks and chips. Exposed dentine is porous. It does not have the protective mechanism of enamel. If not treated, it can cause irreversible pulpal damage.
Gum disease or “periodontitis” can also give rise to root canal problems.

Any of the above causes can result in acute inflammation of the pulp, which causes swelling and pressure inside the tooth. This leads to tooth pain and, eventually, irreversible damage to the pulp. Once the nerve dies, the pain may initially subside. At other times it can create a classic toothache. Sometimes it can present as a painful infection that spreads onto the cheek and around the jaw or eyes. At other times it can become a long-standing infection with symptoms ranging from nothing at all to severe.

Although there are many different causes of irreversible pulpal damage, generally speaking root canal therapy is the treatment of choice in order to save the tooth.

We use the latest techniques in the preparation and filling of the root system which includes rotary instruments and the use of an endodontic obturator.

The process of Root Canal Therapy generally involves 3 visits.

Visit 1

We allocate between 30 minutes to an hour depending on which tooth is treated. The front teeth usually have 1 canal and are therefore easier and quicker to treat. Premolars usually have 2 canals. Molars have either 3 or 4 canals and are therefore more complicated and time-consuming. During this visit we access the pulp chamber, take an X-ray and place a medicament in order to sooth the tooth. The purpose of this visit is not only to prepare the groundwork of proceeding with the root canal therapy procedure but more importantly for you, getting you out of pain!

Visit 2

Another 30 to 60 minutes is allocated depending on the tooth treated. During this visit, all remnants of dead pulpal tissue and infected organic materials are removed and the root canals are cleaned and shaped appropriately.

Visit 3

This third and final visit also lasts either 30 minutes or an hour depending on the number of canals being treated. In this visit we fill or “obturate” the root canals with a filling material (gutta percha) and root sealer in order to prevent bacteria from getting back into the root system. The access cavity is then permanently restored.

Why do we do root canal therapies?

Using this technique we first of all get you out of pain;
We remove the source of the infection and;
We save your tooth.

A root canal therapy helps retain the tooth, without a living nerve, in the mouth without pain for chewing and for cosmetic reasons.

The de-vitalised tooth however has a higher risk of fracturing because it is drier and therefore may require extra support by crowning the tooth.