If it remains untreated, it can cause significant discomfort and lead to an abscess.
Dental pulp is soft tissue containing blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue. It is housed in your root canals.
The infection or inflammation can have a variety of causes such as deep decay, a cracked or chipped tooth, failing crowns, or even repeated dental procedures on the tooth. Pulp damage can occur if the tooth experienced trauma, even if there are no visible signs such as a chipped tooth.
Your dentist administers a local anaesthetic to the area to keep you comfortable. Then the infected or inflamed dental pulp is removed, and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and disinfected before being filled and sealed with gutta-percha, a rubber-like material.
Afterwards, your dentist uses a filling or dental crown to restore the tooth.
The length of the procedure depends on the tooth involved, but on average, it takes 1-2 hours. The treatment can be completed in a single visit, but occasionally requires a second appointment. The restoration of a dental crown will require additional appointments.
The anaesthetic should keep you comfortable during the procedure. Root canal treatment actually relieves your discomfort because the diseased dental pulp is removed.
Once the anaesthetic wears off, you may experience some tenderness and redness around the area, but that quickly dissipates.
Over-the-counter medicines can help to minimise any discomfort.
A root canal is a cost-effective way to treat pulp infection and save your natural tooth from extraction. It is usually less expensive than extraction and the placement of a dental implant or bridge. Root canal treatment has a high success rate and many root canal treated teeth last a long time.
Although the advances in dental technology are incredible, it is always better to try and save your natural tooth so you can continue to enjoy a wide variety of foods, a well-balanced diet and good overall health.
Back to TreatmentsI am so pleased that I discovered my dentist. The dentist is so caring and sensitive to the patient’s needs. All work is carried out with skill, expertise and a delightful sense of humour. The dentist helped me through a…
read MORENothing but praise for this dentist. From start to finish it has been a great experience and each visit that I have needed to go back for has been painless and easy. Might even say I will look forward to…
read MOREI am surprised to see the previous review as this is a complete contrast to my experience last month. I visited the practice and the welcome I received from the receptionist was lovely, they showed me where to sit and…
read MOREThe receptionists are really friendly and helpful, the nurses really put you at ease and my dentist makes sure everything moves at your pace and you are kept informed at all times. I have been going here now for nearly…
read MOREMy wife attended Ideal between October and December 2013. I can honestly say I am amazed, my wife in the past has only ever managed treatment under General Anaesthetic and couldn't even talk about her treatment without getting upset. She…
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