Root Canal Therapy
Root canal therapy or endodontic treatment is a treatment that is performed by your dentist to save your tooth when there is affected by infection or painful inflammation. It is often an alternative to tooth extraction and can offer many benefits to you terms of keeping your natural teeth in your mouth.
However, we all know that root canal therapy has a very bad reputation, often hearing that it is associated with terrible pain. But have no fear. The reason for this is that patients are often in pain already when they present to the dentist with an inflamed or infected tooth. The root canal therapy is actually the hero that often gets the patient OUT of pain.
What is root canal therapy?
Root canal therapy involves the removal of the inflamed/infected nerve tissue from your tooth’s root canals. The root of your tooth houses the nerves and blood tissues that run through a small, narrow canal and serve to nourish and help the tooth to develop. This tissue is known as the pulp.
The pulp is normally protected by the surrounding outer enamel, but it can become inflamed or infected as a result of spreading decay, cracks or fractures, trauma or deep fillings. When this pulp becomes inflamed the tooth becomes incredibly sensitive to cold and hot sensations or to touch. It can be particularly painful, often waking patients at night and affecting their ability to chew, incurring high amounts of pain.
If you are experiencing acute infection or inflammation of the pulp, you will need to contact us immediately on 9158 6461 for an urgent same day appointment to avoid infection development. At North Sydney Dental Practice we believe that retaining your existing natural tooth is superior to extraction or getting a prosthetic tooth. Root canal therapy is a safe and effective way to save teeth in the majority of cases.
Does root canal therapy hurt??
In the vast majority of cases, not at all. Remember, root canal therapy is actually the hero that often gets the patient OUT of pain. The highly skilled dentists at North Sydney Dental Practice will take great care to provide adequate and effective local anaesthesia so that you do not feel the procedure. Removing the infected nerve tissues usually means removal of the pain.
What next?
It is common for a root filled tooth to require further restoration (such as a crown) to protect the tooth from fracture or re-infection. This crown restoration tooth coloured and will restore strength, function and aesthetics. At North Sydney Dental Practice we will individually assess and advise of the root canal cost, as well as the best solution. If you feel that you may require endodontic treatment contact our experience team in North Sydney to arrange a consultation and a full explanation of treatment options.
