Treating A Root Infected Tooth

07 / 05 / 2018

Treating A Root Infected Tooth

Infections And Abscesses May Mean That A Root Canal Procedure Is Necessary

Whilst a healthy tooth is robust and strong enough for regular daily tasks, it can still become damaged in a number of ways, whether through neglect or accidents. Whilst a broken tooth can often be restored with a filling or a crown, depending on the extent of the breakage, when the root canals of a tooth become infected, the treatment may be more complex.

Because the root canals are where the nerves of our teeth are stored, any infection can be very painful. There is also the possibility that an abscess may be present, which will add to the pain and also the need to have the tooth treated promptly by one of our Ipswich dentists.

When the root canals become infected, there are only two options available for treatment at The Lighthouse Dental Practice; extraction or root canal treatment.

Of these two, a root canal procedure is nearly always the most appropriate treatment, given that we will always try to preserve your teeth rather than extract.

Abscesses

Although an abscess may not necessarily be present in or around a tooth infected in this way, it is important that we check for any that may be there. To do this, we will x-ray your teeth so that we can see what is going on inside and near the tooth. If an abscess is detected, this will need to be treated before the root canal procedure can take place.

The procedure

Once any abscesses have been treated, or where none are present, the root canal procedure can start. This is done using a local anaesthetic and, despite its reputation, is nothing to be feared, and we are always happy to discuss to help allay any concerns. Once the area is numb, the top part of the infected tooth is removed and the soft pulp removed, leaving a hollow canal.

This will then be thoroughly cleaned to prevent any recurrence of the infection, before being filled with gutta percha, a special filling used for this procedure. To both strengthen the restored tooth and to give it a more natural appearance, a dental crown is added to the top. This completes the procedure.

While a root canal procedure should cause no more discomfort than any other common dental treatment, we do understand that some patients may have built up significant anxiety due to myths that have built up surrounding this procedure over the years.

If, following personal reassurance and discussion with our dental team, you still feel deeply anxious, you may wish to consider conscious sedation, which we are able to offer at The Lighthouse Dental Practice.

To book an appointment to see the dentist, please call us on 01473 257379. Our team look forward to helping you!

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If you would like to speak to a member of our friendly team about any of the issues in this article please visit our contact page or call us on 01473 257379.