Root Canal Treatment

Firstly, local anaesthesia is used for the tooth that requires the root canal treatment, similar to when a filling is done. Then, the decay is removed from the tooth, and an access hole is made into where the nerve of the tooth is. We use our specialised dental instruments called dental files to then clean all the infected nerve tissue out. X-rays are utilised to ensure we clean out the entirety of the infected nerve, so that medication can be placed to disinfect it. After the tooth is symptom-free, we will place a biocompatible filling inside the tooth, to hopefully prevent bacteria from re-entering this area again. Root canal treatment can sometimes range from 2 to 4 appointments, over several months.

Root canal treatment is important to remove the infected nerve, however after the root canal treatment is completed, the tooth unfortunately is brittle and prone to fracturing because of the damage done by the decay in the first place. Therefore, a dental crown is placed on the tooth to protect it for the future. If a dental crown is not placed after root canal treatment, you may end up with a broken tooth in the future, and the root canal treatment will have been wasted.

Root canal treatment, if done well, often has a success rate of 90-94%. Sometimes, the procedure can be very complex, and hence a root canal specialist (Endodontist) may be required to complete the treatment.

The costs of the treatment heavily depend on how many nerves the tooth has, as well as the complexity of the case. Our dentists can provide you with a quote for root canal treatment and a dental crown (if needed) before commencing the first stage.