Root canal treatment

When the pulp of the tooth (the nerve) becomes infected it needs to be removed from the inside of the tooth.   The infection of the pulp tissue can be caused by bacteria that live in the mouth and have managed to make their way into your tooth, either by:

• Tooth decay
• Leaky fillings
• Dental trauma
• Repeated dental treatment on tooth
• Deep cracks in the tooth

RCT requires approximately 2 appointments under local anaesthesia. During these appointments, the infected tissue will be removed using specialised small files.  The inside of the root canal is then cleaned, disinfected and shaped with these files.  This removes all the bacteria from the inside of the tooth. Once the root canal has been cleared of all bacteria, the tooth is filled with a rubber like material called gutta-percha.

A filling would then need to be placed on top of the gutta-percha. In back teeth a crown is ideally recommended to prevent tooth fracture.