Root Canal Therapy
At the centre of each tooth is a collection of blood vessels and nerves known as the pulp.
Infection of the pulp can be caused by trauma to the tooth, tooth decay, cracks or failed
repeated dental work. The infection can then spread down the root canal to force an access around the root tip
which could show as a rounded dark spot on the dental x-ray.
The tooth then becomes painful, tender to bite on, particularly sensitive
to heat and cold, or may have an obvious large cavity which extends up to the sensitive part of
the tooth known as the pulp or the tooth could change colour to a dark shade
Sometimes the infection spreads even more to form a swelling on the gum (gum-boil) and at other times the face may become swollen. In some case, the pulp of the tooth could die without causing any noticeable pain.
The procedure involves
- 1. Confirmation of the damage to the teeth by X-ray
- 2. Application of local anaesthetic to numb the tooth
- 3. Opening up of the tooth structure to create access to the pulp
- 4. Removal of the inflamed pulp, cleaning and disinfecting the pulp canal
- 5. Sealing the root canal
- 6. Placing a crown to protect the tooth natural crown