Endodontics – also known as Root Canal Treatment
When a tooth’s nerve becomes unhappy it can become inflamed. This inflammation causes a lot of pain and can even lead to the nerve dying off, leading to an abscess forming. The abscess is the result of the dying cells of the nerve which accumulate at the base of the tooth.
When we carry out Root Canal Treatment we aim to remove the nerve of the tooth and thus remove the source of the infection. It is an alternative to removing the whole tooth (extraction). Once the nerve is removed we must clean out the root chamber and then replace the nerve with a filling material with the hope that the area, now free of the source of infection can recover.
All of our dentists can carry out root canal treatments but some can be trickier than others, meaning we may wish to refer you to a specialist Endodontist.
A Endodontist, or a Dentist with Special Interest in Endodontics are Practioners who have received further specialist training in Root Canal Therapy. They often use specialist endodontic equipment, materials and microscopes to get the best possible results.
Teeth that have had Root Canal Treatments will become more brittle and likely to fracture over time as the nerve and blood supply has been removed. This means that a Dentist may advise an Onlay or Crown is placed after the treatment to spread the biting forces on the tooth and reduce the likelihood of the tooth fracturing.
Watch our video on Endodontics
If you think you may need Root Canal therapy or you would like more information please contact the Practice on 01904422918
