Treatment
Root canal treatment in Nuneaton
Root canal treatment clears infection and inflamed nerve tissue from inside a tooth, disinfects the canals that run through its roots and seals them, so that a tooth which would otherwise be extracted can be restored and kept. Patients from Nuneaton and the surrounding towns are treated by Angel Ognemirov, with every canal treated under magnification.
Why a tooth needs it
Inside every tooth, running down the centre of each root, is a thread of living tissue made up of nerve and blood vessels: the pulp. It is well protected in a healthy tooth, but deep decay, a large or repeatedly replaced filling, a crack or a blow can open a route for bacteria. Once they are inside, the pulp becomes inflamed and then dies, and the infection works its way out of the root tip into the jawbone. That sequence is behind most severe toothache and most dental abscesses.
Root canal treatment interrupts it. The damaged tissue is removed, the canal system is cleaned and disinfected along its full length and the space is sealed so that bacteria have nowhere to live. The root remains in the bone and, once your dentist has restored the crown of the tooth, it goes back to doing its job.
Signs that treatment may be needed
- pain with hot or cold drinks that hangs around instead of fading in seconds;
- an ache that arrives on its own, throbs, or wakes you at night;
- a tooth that hurts to bite on, or feels different when tapped;
- a swelling in the gum or face, or a small spot on the gum that comes and goes;
- a tooth that has turned grey or dark after an injury;
- an area of infection spotted on a routine X-ray without any symptoms.
Cracked teeth, gum problems and even sinus trouble can imitate each of these, which is why nothing is proposed until a toothache assessment has confirmed which tooth is responsible and what is wrong with it.
What happens at the appointment
- Numbing, then checking. Local anaesthetic is given and the tooth is tested before anything else happens. You will feel pressure and vibration during treatment; you should never feel sharp pain, and if you do, more anaesthetic is given at once.
- Isolating the tooth. A thin sheet of rubber is fitted around the tooth. It keeps saliva out, keeps the cleaning solutions in, and lets you swallow and relax without worrying about anything in your mouth.
- Opening the tooth. A small opening is made through the biting surface, or through an existing filling, into the pulp chamber.
- Measuring, cleaning and shaping. The length of each canal is measured electronically. Fine flexible instruments clean and shape the canals, and a disinfecting solution is washed through repeatedly and activated to reach the side branches that instruments cannot. All of this is done under the operating microscope, which is how canals that would otherwise be missed are found.
- Sealing. Once dry, the canals are filled with a rubber-based material and sealer, and the opening is closed with a temporary or permanent filling.
Most teeth are completed in a single visit of between an hour and an hour and a half. A heavily infected tooth, or one with unusually complex anatomy, may be dressed with an antibacterial medicament and finished at a second appointment.
What it feels like
Properly numbed, root canal treatment feels like a long filling: pressure, vibration and the sound of the instruments, but not pain. The most demanding part for most people is simply keeping the mouth open for an hour, so breaks are built in. If dental treatment worries you, read about treatment for nervous patients; the appointment can be planned around that.
Afterwards
Expect the tooth and the gum around it to feel bruised for two or three days, particularly when biting. Everyday painkillers normally cover it, and the discomfort fades as the inflammation settles. Avoid chewing hard foods on the tooth until it has been permanently restored. Detailed advice is in the guide to aftercare after root canal treatment.
Making the result last
A root-treated back tooth should be protected with a crown or onlay, because a tooth without its pulp is more brittle and more likely to crack under chewing forces; some front teeth can be restored with a filling alone. Your own dentist fits the restoration, ideally within a few weeks, and receives a report with the X-rays and a recommendation. Looked after this way, a root-treated tooth can serve for decades — the guide on why root canal treatments fail explains what shortens that life and how it is avoided.