ENDODONTIC TREATMENT
Root canal treatment
Root canal treatment aims to disinfect the root canal system and allow healing of the surrounding tissues. Your Endodontist will achieve this by carefully shaping, cleaning and then filling the root canals of your infected tooth. Once your root canal treatment is completed, the foundations are ready for you to return to your general dentist for the final restoration such as a crown which will protect the tooth and restore it to its full function. This procedure enables you to retain your natural tooth which is likely to function better than a substitute. Root canal treatment is usually completed in one to three appointments depending on the extent of infection and your current state of oral and general health.
Root canal re-treatment
You may have been referred to us for root canal retreatment.
As with any dental or medical procedure, occasionally a tooth may not heal as expected after initial treatment for a variety of reasons including:
- Narrow or curved canals were not treated during the initial procedure;
- Complicated canal anatomy went undetected in the first procedure;
- The placement of the crown or other restoration was delayed following the endodontic treatment;
- The restoration did not prevent salivary contamination to the inside of the tooth; or
- Non -healing of previous pathology.
Successfully treated teeth may encounter new problems that may require treatment. This occurs when:
- New decay exposes the root canal filling material to bacteria causing a new infection in the tooth;
- A loose, cracked or broken crown or filling exposes the tooth to new infection; or
- A tooth sustains a fracture.
Endodontic Microsurgery
Endodontic surgery is a minor surgical procedure on the end of the tooth root (apex) and the surrounding tissues. The aim is to remove infected or inflamed tissue so that your tooth can be saved. Endodontic surgery may be used when root canal treatment alone is not enough to save your tooth.
Endodontic surgery may be required to:
- Treat infection that cannot be treated by root canal treatment alone.
- Treat disease of bone surrounding a tooth.
- Take a biopsy to help diagnose disease around a tooth root.