Most common reasons a tooth may develop inflammation or infection:

• Dental decay (large deep cavities)
• Accumulative effects of placing several filling over time
• Restorative insults to teeth (drilling, heat and desiccation)
• Traumatic injury (accident)

The reasons for root canal therapy

The dental pulp can become diseased and inflamed and the damage (most often indicated by sensitivity to temperature or deep seated throbbing) is sufficiently advanced that the pulp tissue cannot be treated and made to recover. This irreversible problem requires removal of the dental pulp, hence a root canal procedure.

This deterioration can be more intense and the dental pulp has become dead tissue. The tooth will no longer respond to temperature changes and sweets. The dead pulp tissue and bacteria from the inside of the tooth can affect the bone and cause infection outside the tooth at the tip of the root(s).

Symptoms most commonly associated with non-vital infection are a tooth that hurts to bite on or becomes sore to touch. An x-ray will help in the diagnosis of this problem, but only when the infection is so advanced as to cause loss of bone around the root tip of the tooth.

The treatment of either of those two categories of infection is essentially the same in routine cases. Root canal therapy is the treatment of the inside of the tooth so that the source of the infection or the source of inflammation causing the dental pain can be removed. The tooth is then protected from the problem recurring in the future.

What is the nature of treatment?

The sophistication of endodontic techniques and new materials has made modern day endodontics a painless and uncomplicated procedure. Invariably, it is no different in its scope than a dental visit for a large filling. The majority of endodontic procedures are done in a single appointment. State-of-the art local anaesthesia (freezing) techniques are always used in conjunction with relaxants to minimize stress and anxiety; nitrous oxide sedation is available as well. Upon completion of your treatment, we immediately communicate with your referring dentist so that follow-up treatment for restoring and protecting your tooth can be provided by them by them at the earliest opportunity.