During a check-up, we examine the teeth, mouth, and gums to determine if any underlying conditions impact your smile. If you’re a new patient to our practice, you’ll need to book a comprehensive new-patient exam for £95, which includes two x-rays. If you’re an existing patient, you can book a Continuing Care Exam for £50.
Root canals are small channels at the base of a tooth that contains nerves, connective tissues, and blood vessels, collectively known as dental pulp.
If a tooth becomes cracked or decayed, bacteria can penetrate the tooth’s surface and infect the pulp.
If a tooth’s pulp becomes infected or is at risk of infection, your dentist may need to remove it and replace it with a filling, known as a root canal treatment.
In some cases, depending on how decayed the tooth is, the dentist may also need to fit a crown to your tooth following the endodontic treatment.
An infected tooth can become significantly inflamed. Several symptoms indicate you might need endodontic treatment, including:
However, sometimes, dental pulp infection can be asymptomatic.
In this case, your dentist will usually spot the issue on an x-ray.
The dental pulp becomes infected when bacteria penetrate the centre of a tooth after it becomes compromised because of a large cavity or breakage incurred through injury, among other things.
A few things can lead to a dental infection requiring endodontic treatment.
These include:
Leaving an infected tooth alone and not receiving proper, timely treatment for it can have potentially serious consequences, including:
There are four basic steps to endodontic treatment. First, the dentist will remove any infected tissue from the tooth’s centre.
Next, they will shape the root canals, smooth them out, and disinfect them to ensure they have removed all the bacteria from the tooth. Depending on the severity of the infection, it may take more than one round of treatment before the area is spotless and free from bacteria.
They will fill and seal the root canals to make sure no bacteria can re-enter the canals.
Some dentists may wait a week to ensure the infection is gone before sealing your tooth. If your dentist does not complete the procedure on the same day, the hole in your tooth will be covered with a temporary filling to keep food particles and other debris out of your freshly cleaned tooth.
To seal the tooth, your dentist will use a compound called gutta-percha — a biocompatible material similar to rubber — to fix it with adhesive cement.
Finally, the dentist may fit a crown to restore the function and appearance of the tooth and protect it from reinfection.
