Endodontics
Saving the tooth, not removing it.
A root canal treats infection or inflammation in the pulp — the soft tissue containing nerves and blood vessels at the centre of a tooth. The infected tissue is removed, the space cleaned and shaped, and the canal sealed, allowing the natural tooth to be kept.
Root Canal Treatment
What it involves.
Root canal treatment has a reputation it no longer deserves. With modern anaesthesia and instrumentation, the appointment is generally comparable to having a filling placed. The pain most patients associate with a root canal is the pain of the infection itself, which the treatment relieves.
Many cases can be completed in a single sitting. Once treated, the tooth is usually restored with a crown to protect it against fracture, as a treated tooth is more brittle than a healthy one.
Signs you may need one
- Persistent, throbbing toothache
- Prolonged sensitivity to hot or cold
- Pain on biting or on pressure
- Swelling or tenderness of the nearby gum
- Darkening or discolouration of a single tooth
Why keep the tooth
- Preserves your natural tooth and its root
- Maintains normal biting and chewing
- Prevents neighbouring teeth from drifting
- Avoids the bone loss that follows an extraction
Also offered
Other treatments.
Begin
Let's look after
that smile.
Tell us what's troubling you and we'll find you a time — usually the same week.