Endodontics / Root Canal

Here at Selandra Dental we offer a wide range of dental treatments, and some can be a lot more specialized than others. Many people have heard about a Root Canal Treatment but are not sure exactly what its all about. Let us explain what you need to know about root canal treatment and endodontics

Root Canal

What is a Root Canal?

A root canal is a dental procedure used to treat and save a tooth that is badly decayed or becomes infected. During a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp that is in the centre of the tooth is removed and the inside of the tooth is cleaned thoroughly and sealed to prevent further infection.

Without treatment and left unattended, the tissue surrounding the tooth will become severely infected form an abscess, this can lead to sever pain, swelling of the face or worse the dental infection can travel to surrounding areas in the body causing severe complications.  "Root canal" is the term used to describe the natural cavity within the centre of the tooth. The pulp or pulp chamber is the soft area within the root canal. The tooth's nerve lies within the root canal. A tooth's nerve is not vitally important to a tooth's health and function after the tooth has emerged through the gums. Its only function is sensory -- to provide the sensation of hot or cold. The presence or absence of a nerve will not affect the day-to-day functioning of the tooth.

Why Does the tooth pulp need to be removed?

When a tooth's nerve tissue or pulp is damaged, it breaks down and bacteria begin to multiply within the pulp chamber.  The bacteria and other decayed debris can cause an infection or abscessed tooth. An abscess is a puss-filled pocket that forms at the end of the roots of the tooth. An abscess occurs when the infection spreads all the way past the ends of the roots of the tooth. In addition to an abscess, an infection in the root canal of a tooth can cause: • Swelling that may spread to other areas of the face, neck, or head

  • Bone loss around the tip of the root
  • Drainage problems extending outward from the root. A hole can occur through the side of the tooth with drainage into the gums or through the cheek with drainage into the skin.
  • This can cause a terrible throbbing pain.
  • Can cause breathing issues due to swelling
  • Worst case - Can cause death if left due to the infection going into the blood stream

What Damages a Tooth's Nerve and Pulp in the First Place?

A tooth's nerve and pulp can become irritated, inflamed, and infected due to the following

  • Deep decay: Bacteria from cavities can reach the pulp, causing infection.
  • Repeated dental procedures: Multiple fillings or treatments can irritate the pulp.
  • Large fillings: Fillings that cover a large portion of the tooth can affect the pulp.
  • Cracks or chips in the tooth: Trauma to the tooth, such as a crack or chip, can expose the pulp to bacteria.
  • Facial trauma: An injury or impact to the tooth can damage the pulp.

Depending on what tooth is affected and how many canals, Root canal is normally done over 3 appointments,

1st appointment

This can be a pretty tough appointment as you are generally coming for emergency dental treatment as you are experiencing pain, once our dentist has assessed the tooth and knows that it can be restored, they we will proceed to numb you up, once this is done we will place a barrier over the teeth (with the tooth that requires treatment left out) to protect you from the files and the irrigation/cleaning fluids we use. We will use our drill to remove the decay and open the root canal, once this is open the dentist will place very thin files in the canal to extract the infected pulp, this can sometimes be a bit uncomfortable but you can always let us know and more aesthetic can be given, the dentist will use a lot of fluid to flush and clean the area, once they are happy that it is clean the dentist will then place a medication in the canals and seal it up with a temporary restoration.

2nd appointment

On your second appointment you are normally feeling a lot better and will be happy to see us!

At this appointment the dentist will have a fair bit of work to do so the appointment will naturally be a long one, the canals are not all the same length noor are they nice and smooth, they will once again start by placing the rubber dam on and then reopening the tooth, here at Selandra Dental we use a system called a Rotary File system, this will help the dentist measure the end/ apex of the canals with the Apex locator once this has been worked out the rotary files will then smooth and shape the canal walls, the dentist will also be flushing the canals with special cleaners, once this is done the dentist will dry the canals, replace the medication and place temporary restoration.

3rd appointment

With the finish line in sight you will be excited but a bit sad you won’t get to see us for a little while after this appointment. You will know the “drill” by now (pardon the pun) the dentist will place the rubber dam and open the tooth, the dentist will go through the Rotary system one last time to make sure everything is perfectly clean, flushed and dried so that the canals are ready to be sealed, to fill the canals a sealant is used along with special rubber like points called Gutta Perka, these can be placed in warm or cold, when they are placed in they are long so the dentist will need to melt the tops off them so they can then clean up the cavity space and fill the tooth.