Root Canal

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Root canal therapy refers to the process by which a dentist treats the interior areas of the teeth, specifically that area inside a tooth that has pulp tissue.

Most people think of the teeth's pulp tissue as its nerve. While a tooth's pulp tissue does contain nerve fibers it is also composed of arteries, veins, lymph vessels, and connective tissue.

Root Canal therapy is also known as Endodontics, the term is derived from the Greek - Endo" is the word for "inside" and "odont" is the word for "tooth." Endodontics looks at the inside of the tooth!

Why do I need Root Canal Treatment?

Typically you will need root canal work to fix a tooth that has become very badly decayed or possibly even infected. Usually root canal treatment is needed if tooth decay is left for a long period of time and the tooth gets a bacterial infection in its pulp. This bacterial infection can cause a number of symptoms including:

• Severe toothache especially when chewing
• Additional sensitivity to heat or cold
• Darkening of the tooth colour
• Sensitive or discoloured gums

The bacterial infection will take hold of the root canal and start to attack the tooth nerve and root ends. In some cases an abscess can form at the roots of the tooth

Root Canal treatment can also be necessary if you suffer from severe gum disease. In some cases the gums can pull away from your teeth a long way leaving pockets that can trap bacteria. These pockets of bacteria could eventually damage the pulp of the teeth causing you to require root canal work.

Alternatives to Root Canal Treatment

Once you develop a root canal problem the best course of action available to save the tooth is root canal treatment. Generally the only other course of action with a seriously damaged or decaying tooth is to have it removed and replaced by a tooth bridge or other cosmetic treatments. These will generally be more expensive than root canal treatment if you are not lucky enough to qualify for free dental treatment. You should consult your Dentist to discuss whether root canal treatment is the best option for you.

Diagnosing Root Canal Problems

If your dentist is concerned about any areas of tooth decay they will probably take an X-ray of your teeth. They may also take an X-ray during a regular check up or a first appointment. This X-ray will help highlight any areas of tooth decay and show how far down the tooth the decay has spread.

What is involved in Root Canal Treatment?

The root canal work will involve a process where the nerve and pulp is removed (under anaesthetic!) and then the debris and infected areas from inside the tooth are removed, the whole root canal area is cleaned and then the tooth is sealed up. Sometimes an anaesthetic isn't actually required as the whole tooth nerve has been destroyed, but in nearly all cases you'll get one anyway, just to be on the safe side.

The first step is to remove any decay or old fillings from the tooth using an electric drill. Once the hard material of the tooth is removed they will then simply drill into the pulp to reach the root canal area.

This root canal area will then carefully be cleaned using a variety of dentist tools and disinfectant. The tools may look slightly disconcerting, but don't worry you should not feel any pain! This part of the procedure is very important as your root canal must be completely clean to avoid any recurrence of the infection.

The next part of the root canal treatment is to fill the empty hole in the tooth with thin pieces of gutta percha (a rubber-like substance). These thin strips are packed tightly into the tooth to prevent anything entering into the root canal area. Usually a final X-ray will be taken to ensure that the root canals are blocked up completely.

Finally the top of the tooth will be covered with a filling or a crown.

After the Root Canal Treatment

Your teeth may be a little sensitive for a few days after the root canal treatment, but you should not be in any serious pain. You should return to your dentist if you are in severe pain of if there is swelling after more than a couple of days.

Cost of Root Canal Treatment

In the UK you can either have NHS dental treatment or go for Private Dental treatment. According to our Whatprice figures then NHS root canal treatment should be £189 and if you went Private the cost could vary between £250-£350 pounds. Our readers have indicated that the average price of a private dentist performing root canal treatment is £339 (based on a survey of 150 people who have had private root canal treatment)