Root Canal Treatment
Root Canal Treatment | Re- Root Canal Treatment | Apeicectomy | Endodontic Treatment | Endodontic Expert
Karun Dewan Specialist Endodontist in Birmingham, Midlands (U.K) region. He is an expert in carrying out root canal treatment on teeth with complex root canal anatomy and previously failed root canal treatment (Re-RCT). This specialised root canal procedure is carried out to save your tooth.
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Root canal treatment, also known as Endodontic treatment, is the cleaning, disinfecting and filling of the roots of a tooth. It is necessary when the pulp, the soft tissue inside the root canal, becomes inflamed or infected.
The inflammation or infection can have a variety of causes; deep decay, repeated dental procedures on the tooth, or a crack or chip in the tooth.
In addition, an injury to a tooth may cause pulp damage even if the tooth has no visible chips or cracks.
If pulp inflammation or infection is left untreated, it can cause pain or lead to an abscess which can be extremely painful. If root canal treatment (RCT) is not carried out, the tooth may need to be taken out.
What’s the difference between a Dentist and an Endodontist?
While all endodontists are dentists, very few dentists are endodontists. Just like a doctor in any other field, endodontists are specialists because they’ve completed an additional three or more years of training beyond dental school. Their additional training focuses on diagnosing tooth pain and root canal treatment and other procedures relating to the interior of the tooth. In many cases, a diseased tooth can be saved with endodontic treatment. For this reason, endodontists proudly refer to themselves as Specialists in Saving Teeth.
Endodontists Are Experts in Pain Managament
Endodontists use specialized techniques to ensure patients are thoroughly comfortable during their treatments. They are experts in administering numbing medications, especially in patients who traditionally have problems getting and staying numb. In addition to treating you comfortably, patients will be relieved of tooth pain after their root canal procedure when the pulp infection or inflammation heals.
What is Endodontics?
Endodontics is a specialty of Dentistry that deals with diseases of the dental pulp and its supporting structures.
We are a leading dental practice in Birmingham, West Midlands dedicated to Endodontics, treatment carried out to save natural teeth, often referred to as root canal therapy. Our specialists offer some of the best endodontic treatments and welcome referrals from dentists in Birmingham and Midlands region. Endodontic Treatment is an economical way to preserve a tooth in function for chewing and comfort especially when the cost of tooth loss and replacement is so high.
Do I need Endodontic treatment (root canal therapy)?
Endodontic Treatment or Root Canal Treatment/therapy is necessary when the Pulp becomes inflamed or infected. There are several warning signs to be on the lookout for.
If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible. The sooner your tooth can be treated, the better the outcome will likely be.
Persistent pain
Persistent tooth pain is one of the signs that you may need a root canal. The pain in your tooth might bother you all the time, or it might go away from time to time but always return. You may feel the pain deep in the bone of your tooth. Or you may feel referred pain in your face, jaw, or in your other teeth.
Sensitivity to heat and cold
Sensitivity to heat and cold. Does your tooth hurt when you eat warm food or when you drink a cup of coffee? Or perhaps your tooth feels sensitive when you eat ice cream or drink an icy-cold glass of water.
The sensitivity could feel like a dull ache or a sharp pain. You may need a root canal if this pain lingers for an extended period of time, even when you stop eating or drinking.
If your tooth hurts when you eat or drink something hot or cold, it may be an indication that the blood vessels and nerves in your tooth are infected or damaged.
Tooth discoloration
An infection in the pulp of your tooth can cause your tooth to become discolored. Trauma to the tooth or the breakdown of the internal tissue can damage the roots and give the tooth a grayish-black appearance. Tooth pulps can die when there’s an inadequate blood supply, thus signaling a possible need for a root canal.
Swollen gums
Swollen gums near the painful tooth can be a sign of an issue that requires a root canal. The swelling may come and go. It may be tender when you touch it, or it may not be painful to the touch. Swelling is caused by acidic waste products of dead pulp tissues, which may lead to swelling (edema) outside the root tip area. You may also have a little pimple on your gum. This is called a gum boil, or abscess.
The pimple may ooze pus from the infection in the tooth. This can give you an unpleasant taste in your mouth and make your breath smell bad.
Pain when you eat or touch the tooth
If your tooth is sensitive when you touch it or when you eat, it could indicate severe tooth decay or nerve damage, which may need to be treated with a root canal. This is especially the case if the sensitivity persists over time and doesn’t go away when you stop eating. The ligament around the root tip of an infected tooth may become hypersensitive from the pulp dying. The waste products from the dying pulp may irritate the ligament, causing pain from biting pressure.
A chipped or cracked tooth
If you’ve chipped or cracked your tooth in an accident, in a contact sport, or by chewing on something hard, bacteria can set in and lead to inflammation and infection. Even if you injure a tooth, but it doesn’t chip or crack, the injury may still damage the nerves of the tooth. The nerve can become inflamed and cause pain and sensitivity, which may require root canal treatment.
Tooth mobility
When your tooth is infected, it may feel looser. This can be caused by other factors besides pulpal necrosis (nerve death), but it can be a sign that a root canal is necessary. Acidic waste products from nerve death can soften the bone around the root of a dying tooth, causing mobility.
What is involved in Root Canal Treatment
Frequently Asked Questions
Signs to look for include pain, prolonged sensitivity to heat or cold, tenderness to touch and chewing, discoloration of the tooth, and swelling, drainage and tenderness in the lymph nodes as well as nearby bone and gum tissues. Sometimes, however, there are no symptoms.
The aim of the treatment is to remove all infection from the root canal under local anesthetic. The root is then filled to prevent infection recurring. Root canal treatment is a skilled and time-consuming procedure. All work is carried out whilst looking into your tooth with magnification (operating microscope). Some courses of treatment may involve two or more visits.
At the first appointment the root canal is disinfected and shaped ready for the root filling. The canals will be dressed with an antibacterial paste and a temporary filling is placed on top. The tooth is then left to settle.The tooth is checked at a later visit and when all the infection has cleared, the root canals and tooth is permanently filled. Sometimes the treatment maybe completed on the same day with a final filling placed within the canals.
Many endodontic procedures are performed to relieve the pain of toothaches caused by pulp inflammation or infection. With modern techniques and anesthetics, patients report that they are comfortable during the procedure and pain during treatment is very rare.
For the first few days after treatment, your tooth may feel mild discomfort, especially if there was pain or infection before the procedure. This discomfort can be relieved with over-the-counter or prescription medications. Follow your endodontist’s instructions carefully.
Your tooth may continue to feel slightly different from your other teeth for some time after your endodontic treatment is completed. However, if you have severe pain, pressure or pain that lasts more than a few days, call your endodontist.
Afterwards, you will return to your dentist, who will place a crown or other restoration on the tooth to protect and restore it to full function. You may be asked to return to RESTORE to take a check x-ray some months later. We will liaise with your dentist at all stages of your treatment with us.
Root canal treatment is usually very successful, with long-term success rates of over 85%. However, if the infection comes back other treatment options will be discussed.
Root canal re-treatment is undertaken when the previous root canal treatment has failed. Reasons for failure of initial root canal treatment commonly include: previous unsuccessful treatment, re-infection from a leaky filling or decay, presence of cracks / fractures or presence of a cyst around the root end.
Sometimes re-treatment is performed to improve the technical quality of the root canal filling prior to the placement of a new crown or bridge, rather than to eliminate residual infection.
Success of the treatment may be influenced by the quality of the new filling or crown.
Teeth that have had previous root canal treatment may have additional problems such as presence of broken instruments, or blocked canals that make preparation and cleaning of the canals more difficult. Our skilled clinicians use latest technology and magnification to ensure the tooth is given the best chance to be saved as it avoids replacement of lost tooth and could be more cost-effective. The success rates of re-treatment are above 80% when done properly.
If for any reasons a certain standard of root canal treatment is not achievable, the chances of success of the treatment may be reduced, in which case, extraction may be advised and you will be referred back to your own dentist for further treatment.
This is usually necessitated when a conventional root canal therapy had failed and a re-treatment was already unsuccessful or is not advised, or have huge cyst or infection at the end of root. We usestate-of-the-art procedures make use of microsurgical techniques, such as a dental operating microscope, micro instruments, ultrasonic preparation tips.
A root end surgery, also known as apicoectomy or root-end filling, is an endodontic surgical procedure to save a tooth whereby a tooth’s root tip is removed and a root end cavity is prepared and filled with a biocompatible material.
How are Fees paid?
At your initial visit a plan of treatment will be devised and fees determined.
Need More information?
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