Root canal therapy is one of those things that people are often very afraid of having, but in fact it’s an excellent preventative dental care treatment that could help save your teeth. Without it your teeth could end up being extracted, and you may need dental implants in Kent. While Dr Rik Trivedi is highly experienced at placing implants, it’s always best to make your natural teeth lost as long as possible.
You might hear root canal therapy being called root canal treatment, or endodontics. All mean the same thing, and that is the removal of the central part of your tooth which is called the pulp. Your pulp contains the nerves and blood supply to your tooth, and the nerves and blood vessels extend right into the root canals in the roots of your tooth. If bacteria are able to enter the pulp then it will become infected, and eventually it’ll die. Unfortunately the infection doesn’t die with the pulp but it will continue spreading throughout the root canal system of your tooth. By this stage you’re in danger of developing an abscess, and even worse of losing your tooth completely. Your tooth doesn’t need the pulp to function properly, and it will be able to do its job perfectly well without it.
What’s Involved with Root Canal Therapy?
If you do require root canal therapy, then Dr Rik Trivedi or another of our Kent dentist will numb the affected tooth before accessing the pulp through the crown of the tooth. The pulp will be removed, and the root canals will be thoroughly cleaned using a series of specially shaped files that slightly enlarge them. Once all the infected material has been removed, then the root canals will be sealed and your tooth can be restored. This will prevent the remaining tooth structure from becoming infected once more, and the tooth is normally restored through the placement of a dental crown as this helps to replace the lost tooth structure and provides sufficient strength to the tooth so it will be able to function normally. This procedure does require several visits to our dental surgery, but it’s no worse than having a filling.
If you do experience toothache then it’s always worth contacting our Kent surgery for advice and to book an appointment. There’s always a reason for toothache, and it could be that you require root canal therapy. Contact us on 01474 537191 or you can e-mail us at info@parrockdental.co.uk with your questions.