Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment is an option for those experiencing very deep dental decay, infection, and trauma.

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The dentist will do a number of tests prior to offering root canal treatment as an option, to confirm the diagnosis.

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The treatment involves initial numbing of the tooth, using local anaesthetic, followed by the removal of decay, and cleaning of the root canal system to remove infected tissue which is causing infection or pain.

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Root canal treatment is a very delicate procedure which takes time to complete. Larger teeth with more canals will require more time to complete than smaller teeth with less canals. Root canal treatment usually takes more than one appointment.

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All teeth are different and some teeth may have more complex canal systems, which can make it longer to complete treatment. In some situations, a root canal treatment may be too complex to be completed in our practice, and we may recommend that you be referred to a specialist endodontist to improve the chance of success of the treatment.

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Root canal treatments see successful outcomes in 80% of cases. Unfortunately, not all root canal treatments end in success, and if you are still in pain, or have active worsening infection following the completion of the treatment, you may be recommended by your dentist to be referred for specialist re-treatment, or to have the tooth extracted.

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Following root canal treatment, teeth become more brittle as significant amounts of tooth tissue must be removed to access and clean the canals. Your dentist will normally advise you to also have an indirect restoration (crown/onlay) placed on the tooth following root canal treatment, to reduce the risk of the tooth fracturing which can lead to pain and loss of the tooth.