Name: Root Canal Treatment
Brand: The Dental Academy

Root Canal Treatment in Daresbury

At The Dental Academy our experienced dentists regularly carry out root canal treatments with the latest equipment and we pride ourselves on being able to do so in a calm, friendly and pain-free setting.

Our dentists at The Dental Academy will be happy to discuss your needs in our comfortable, well-equipped clinic.

What is Endodontics?

Endodontics is commonly known as root canal therapy. Teeth are held in the jaws by their roots. Front teeth normally have one root, but teeth further back have more. At the core of each tooth is a soft mass of tissue called the pulp. In a healthy tooth, the pulp contains living fibres, cells, nerves and a blood supply, extending into the root(s) through the root canal(s).

Decay or injury can destroy the living pulp. Because dead pulp lacks a blood supply, it is more prone to infection, leading to an abscess and toothache. Root canal treatment (also known as root filling or endodontics) means removing damaged or dead pulp and filling the space left. The remaining tooth can then be repaired.

Why would I need root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment is often needed when the pulp of the tooth is infected, usually following tooth decay or damage to the tooth. In this procedure, we extract the infected pulp tissue from inside the tooth, clean it up to ensure no infection remains and fill the space to seal it and protect the root canal from further infection.

Root canals have a bad reputation but it’s completely unwarranted. Today’s root canal treatment is normally pain-free and in fact very similar to having a tooth filled. Some patients may feel a slight discomfort after treatment where the tooth can feel a little sensitive for a few days afterwards. This discomfort can be relieved with over-the-counter medication, such as paracetamol.

What are the benefits?

Pulp damage can cause toothache but the pain will usually end very quickly when the root canal is cleaned out.

Without a root filling, a tooth with a dead pulp would probably have to be removed in the end. There is also a possibility of infection spreading beyond the tooth itself.

Root-fillings are usually successful and can last many years, but re-treatment is also possible if infection recurs. Occasionally, if inflammation persists at the tip of the root, surgery can be carried out to remove part of the root, clean the area and put in a root filling. This is known as an ‘apicectomy’.

What will my dentist do?

An x-ray can show the number and shape of the root canals, and also signs of infection in the surrounding bone. Teeth can have a number of roots and some roots are easier to fill than others, because of their shape.
To keep root canals dry during treatment the dentist may stretch a sheet of thin rubber around the tooth, on a frame outside the mouth; this is called ‘rubber dam’. Having this fitted makes the treatment more comfortable.
You will be given a local anaesthetic, and then an opening is made through the top of the tooth, down into the pulp.
The dentist then uses narrow files to remove the dead pulp from the core of the tooth and from the root canal(s).
At this point, the dentist may put in a temporary filling and possibly also give you antibiotics if any infection has spread beyond the tooth. If so, you will have to return at a later date, once symptoms have settled, so the dentist can complete the treatment.
In the next stage, the dentist fills the root canal(s). A filling is then placed in the remaining cavity in the top of the tooth. Or, if necessary, a crown can be placed on the top of the tooth.
Root filled teeth can become darker than other teeth, but bleaching can be used to make them look lighter.

Root Canal Treatment in Daresbury

What is Endodontics?

Why would I need root canal treatment?

What are the benefits?

What will my dentist do?

Our Treatments

Ready to speak to one of our dentists in Daresbury?