Root canal treatment
What is Root Canal Treatment?
Root Canal Treatment (RCT) is a dental surgery that removes the nerve or dental pulp of the tooth. This is often needed when trauma or tooth decay has damaged the nerve of a tooth. Root canal therapy is an effective option to avoid tooth extraction. All treatments are performed under local anaesthetic and using state-of-the-art equipment and up-to-date techniques, minimising pain or discomfort.
It can be difficult to quote the cost for RCT without seeing accessing the tooth, as the cost depends on how many canals are in the tooth. Depending on the tooth, it can have between one and four canals.
What happens during RCT?
The treatment is usually completed over three visits with the goal to have all infected and inflamed nerve tissue removed.
- Your dentist makes an opening through the top of the tooth down to the pulp chamber.
- The injured or dead pulp is taken out and the root canal(s) are irrigated and medicated.
- A temporary filling is placed in the opening at the top of the tooth in order to protect it between procedures.
- The temporary filling gets removed and the pulp chamber and root canal(s) are cleaned then shaped using very thin files.
- A permanent filling is placed and the tooth is left for up to 6 months to determine the success of the treatment.
- The tooth is prepared and a crown is placed over the tooth. As the tooth is now without any blood supply, it is very brittle and prone to fracture, so it is incredibly important to protect it with a crown.