Endodontics (root canal)
Looking after the health of the soft tissues inside your teeth.
Are you living with a damaged tooth? Do you have a tooth which has been damaged through an accident, decay or gum disease? Are you living with the intense pain which can be a sign of an infected tooth pulp? With the help of root canal therapy, the Apple Dental dentist aims to heal and save your natural tooth instead of extracting it.
What is root canal
Though root canal procedure (also known endodontic therapy) has a reputation as a painful and uncomfortable procedure, in fact it’s designed to alleviate the pain caused by a dead or dying tooth nerve. Root canal treatment can save your tooth and restore it to its former function and appearance.
The dental root canal is a minute channel on the inside of every one of your teeth, which contains the tooth nerve, blood vessels and other material. When your tooth is damaged, sometimes the tooth nerve will begin to die, allowing bacteria to enter the root canal and causing a very painful toothache for you.
What’s more, because your tooth’s pulp has been damaged, your body’s natural defences against bacteria won’t be able to fully reach the area to do their job. You can easily begin to see why professional assistance from Apple Dental, via root canal therapy, is needed to help fight this infection.
What does a root canal treatment involve?
Using the latest dental technology, we will carefully remove all the infected pulp from your tooth with our specially developed fine instruments. We then insert a special antibacterial agent to remove any traces of infection from your tooth, easing your painful toothache. This substance will remain inside your tooth’s dental root canal for about four to six weeks, to ensure all traces of infection have been thoroughly dealt with.
The last step in your root canal therapy is to plug the excavated tooth and restore its former appearance with a dental crown. In as little as two appointments, your painful infected tooth will be healed and sealed, and you can enjoy speaking, chewing and sleeping normally once more.
When do I need to get a root canal treatment?
A chipped or cracked tooth or a tooth that has lost a filling should always be repaired as quickly as possible. Otherwise, there is the risk of the tooth becoming infected at which stage it will need root canal treatment. This is necessary when the infection penetrates deep inside the tooth, reaching the dental pulp which contains the tooth nerve. The infection can spread from the pulp into the root canals of the tooth, right inside its roots. An infected tooth can be very painful and without prompt professional dental care, there is the risk you may lose the tooth. Your body cannot eliminate this infection without medical help and there is the risk it could spread, affecting your general health.
What to expect when receiving root canal treatment
Root canal treatment will get rid of the infection and pain so your tooth can be fully restored. Using special instruments, the pulp and root canals are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and topical antibiotics are inserted into the empty pulp chamber to ensure all bacteria are removed. Your tooth will be temporarily sealed for up to six weeks until we are sure it is free from infection. Once your tooth has settled down, it can be fully restored with a beautiful dental crown, so you can smile, talk and eat in complete comfort.
Frequently Asked Questions
Signs of a problem in your tooth include toothache or pain in the area, gum tenderness or swelling around the area of the tooth root. The Apple Dental team can also diagnose the need for treatment at your regular visits.
Signs of a problem in your tooth include toothache or pain in the area, gum tenderness or swelling around the area of the tooth root.
If you’re in good health you may have a strong ability to fight infection, which means you could be completely unaware you have an infected tooth. Pain is just one sign that you may need root canal treatment, which is why we recommend you attend regular appointments at Apple Dental, to allow us to check for signs of any problems such as infection.
You may experience some mild soreness for a couple of days, but standard pain relief such as Panadol is usually all that is needed. In fact, most of our patients need no pain medication at all.
In most cases the Apple Dental team will restore your tooth with a crown after your root canal treatment. Speak to our friendly team to arrange your personal consultation and allow us to assess your situation. Our phone number is (02) 9420 5050. And you are very welcomed to visit us at 1 Finlayson St, Lane Cove NSW 2066.
The cost of your root canal therapy will vary, depending on factors such as where your infected tooth is situated in your mouth, and how complex your individual situation is. As a general rule, treatment for teeth which are closer to the front of your mouth will be easier, and therefore less expensive, than a procedure for teeth at the back of your mouth.
For more information about root canal therapy and how much your endodontic treatment will cost, please talk to the friendly Apple Dental team to book a comprehensive consultation in our Lane Cove practice.