What is a root canal?

The term ‘root canal treatment’ involves the cleaning and shaping of the canals inside a tooth’s root. A root canal is used to describe the natural cavity that lies within the centre of the tooth. There is the pulp which is the soft tissue within the root canal. The pulp within a tooth consists of nerves and blood vessels.

Nerves and blood vessels within the tooth provide sensory innervation – the sensation of hot and cold.

Root canal treatment:

Root canal treatment is specifically designed to get rid of bacteria from an infected root canal, prevent reinfection of such a tooth as well as to save the tooth that has been badly damaged by decay, disease or injury. A successful root canal treatment involves totally removing the infected tissue as well as the bacteria from within the root canals, after which the individual should gain relief from the severe pain.

What happens during a root canal procedure?

During a root canal procedure, both the nerve that supplies the tooth and the pulp is removed. The inside of the tooth is carefully cleaned, disinfected and sealed back. Without such treatment, there is a very high chance that the tissue and surrounding area of the tooth will become infected and may lead to formation of abscesses.
If you have an infected or decayed tooth, there is no need to be worried as there is a dental clinic in Altona that is very experienced in root canal procedures. The dentist in Altona may recommend a root canal procedure to have the diseased or damaged tooth treated. Many people have had their teeth treated and saved this way every year!

Advantages of root canal treatment

•  Saves teeth that have deep cavities that would have been extracted previously.
•  It brings back efficient chewing without pain.
•  There is no loss of space due to missing teeth.
•  Prevents the surrounding tissues from becoming infected.
•  Protects other teeth from excessive strain and wear.

How to detect if you need a root canal

The dentist in Altona can help diagnose if you need a root canal. Root canals are typically needed for a deep cavity, cracked tooth from injuries or issues resulting from a previous filling. Most times, patients notice their teeth have a high sensitivity to hot or cold food, extreme pain on biting or spontaneous pain. Here are some symptoms that could show you need a root canal:

•  Swollen or tender gums.
•  A cracked or chipped tooth.
•  A severe and intense pain while biting or chewing of food.
•  Darkening of the teeth (especially in front teeth).
•  Lingering sensitivity to hot or cold even after removal of the cause of the sensation.

  If you have any of these symptoms, contact us to have your tooth checked out. While some people are sceptical about going for this procedure because of the mis-assumption that it is painful. You should know that it is not. Normally patients would be given anaesthesia, which prevents the sensation of pain during the procedure.