Oral Surgery Endodontics (Root Canal Therapy)

Endodontic therapy is a long standing, safe, and highly effective treatment for teeth where the disease process has progressed to affect the crown of the tooth, the dental pulp and ultimately the tooth’s supporting bone tissues.  Successful endodontic therapy enables the patient to retain their ‘natural’ dentition, which is important for both aesthetic and functional purposes.

 

The treated tooth continues to receive support from the surrounding tissues and may be expected to last as long as any other natural tooth.

 

The Tooth and its Surrounding Tissues

 

Teeth are not solid objects, they have a space at their centre containing blood vessels and nerves called the dental pulp. This pulp tissue nourishes the tooth.

 

The pulp can become infected due to deep decay, trauma, or gum disease.

 

Because the pulp is totally encased in hard tissue it will not heal itself; antibiotics merely reduce the disease symptoms for a short period of time.  Without treatment the infection will spread to the bone surrounding the tooth.

 

The purpose of endodontic (root canal) therapy is to cleanse the infected pulp chamber and root canals, then place an inert, biocompatible, filling.  This filling prevents bacteria re-entering the tooth to cause another infection

 

Endodontic Therapy Protocol

 

Endodontic therapy usually involves one or two appointments:

 

At the first appointment local anaesthetic is given to numb the area, and an access cavity is created in order to reach the infected pulp chamber.The pulp chamber and infected root canals are cleansed and reshaped. If the treatment is being carried out over more than one visit, medication is placed in the pulp chamber and root canal to help eliminate bacteria. The tooth is then sealed with a provisional restoration.  Once free from bacteria, an inert, biocompatible filling material is placed in the cleansed space.