What is root canal therapy?

Root canal therapy or endodontic treatment is treatment to the hollow canal in the tooth. When completed, the tooth should act and feel just like your other teeth and has an excellent chance of remaining in your mouth for as long as your other teeth.

Despite a high success rate, there is a chance the root canal therapy will not resolve your pain. In these cases, additional treatments such as re-treatment, root tip surgery or extraction may be necessary.

What happens at my appointment?

Root canal therapy is carried out by numbing the tooth, then placing a plastic sheet around it to keep it dry. A drill is used to open a hole in the top of the tooth, the roots are cleaned, the inside disinfected, then packed with a solid stable material and lastly filled. Often a crown is recommended, as once a tooth is root treated it tends to be more brittle and weak.

Your treatment may take several visits to complete. During that time some discomfort may be felt but this usually resolves within a few weeks.

What are the risks?

Root canal therapy is common and considered to be safe and effective, however, complications and risks can include:

• one of the delicate instruments breaking off inside the tooth
• curved canals or roots
• impenetrable canals
• perforation of the root canal
• fracture of the root or tooth
• infection
• swelling
• discolouration of the area
• additional unknown problems.

If any of these occur, some remedial treatments are possible but if they are unsuccessful or unsuitable, the tooth may need to be extracted.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of your treatment, please speak to the dentist at the beginning of your appointment.