The tooth stays yours
A treated and well-sealed tooth stays in the arch: no extraction, no gap to fill with a bridge or an implant.
Root canal · Dentistry
Root canal treatment,
to save the tooth.
Treating the canals when the pulp is compromised.
When the pulp, the living tissue inside the tooth, becomes inflamed or infected, root canal treatment cures it from the inside: the compromised tissue is removed, the canals are cleaned and sealed. The alternative, often, is extraction.
Canal
What it is
A root canal means treating the tooth from within.
The tooth stays in place: what changes is inside the canals.
Inside every tooth runs the pulp: nerves and vessels, in narrow canals. A deep cavity or a trauma can compromise it, and at that point the pain does not pass on its own. Root canal treatment removes the compromised tissue, cleans the canals and seals them: the tooth stays in the arch and keeps chewing.
The assessment
The assessment, before opening.
Three questions answered before starting.
Not every tooth that hurts needs a root canal, and not every treatable tooth should be saved at any cost. That is what the assessment is for.
The problem really is the pulp
First you find out where the pain comes from: the direct exam answers a lot, and the X-ray is taken when it answers a question the direct exam cannot close.
How many there are, and their shape
Every tooth has its own canals, and they are neither straight nor the same for everyone. Knowing this beforehand shapes the session and the time it takes.
What is left to rebuild
The root canal treats the inside, but the tooth then has to be closed and, if too much wall is missing, rebuilt. How it will end is decided before, not at the end.
Why it is worth it
Why treat instead of extract.
The natural tooth, when possible, comes first.
The cause is removed, not the symptom
The pain of an inflamed pulp does not fade by waiting. Removing the compromised tissue removes the cause, and sealed canals do not get reinfected from within.
The work is done under local anaesthetic
The session is done under local anaesthetic, and if you feel pain we stop. That holds here as in the whole department.
Frequent questions
The most frequent questions.
The rest is answered at the visit.
Does a root canal hurt?
The work is done under local anaesthetic. In the following days some discomfort when chewing can occur, and we tell you beforehand what to expect.
How many sessions does it take?
It depends on the tooth and on how many canals it has: there is no number that fits everyone. It is estimated at the visit, with the exam in front of you.
Is a treated tooth a dead tooth?
It no longer has its pulp, but it stays anchored to the bone and does its job. It has to be closed well, and at check-ups it is looked at like the others.
Would it not be simpler to take it out?
Extracting is quicker, but an extracted tooth then has to be replaced. Keeping the natural tooth, when possible, is the first choice.
Book
Book the assessment visit.
Take care of yourself, with us.
The tooth is examined and you find out whether the root canal is really needed. Book on WhatsApp or by phone.
In the same department