For many years there has been a very negative stigma attached to have this particular dental treatment.
We have found that a lot of the anxiety is from either previous bad experiences, second-hand experiences or the wonderful things that we read and hear about in the media.
Well, at Skin & Smiles we would like to tell you the truth about Root Treatments. Naturally, we can only tell you about our experiences and the results that we have managed to achieve.
Read on and see why we say this:
“…if you can save a tooth, then you most definitely should…”
“…implants are great but TEETH are better…”
This is a sequence of treatment for the infected pulp of a tooth which results in the elimination of infection and the protection of the decontaminated tooth from future microbial invasion.
Root canals and their associated pulp chamber are the physical hollows within a tooth that are naturally inhabited by nerve tissue, blood vessels and other entities which together constitute the dental pulp.
Root canal therapy involves the removal of these structures, the shaping, cleaning, and decontamination of the hollows with small files and irrigating solutions, and the obturation (filling) of the decontaminated canals with an inert filling such as gutta-percha and typically a eugenol-based cement.
This treatment is always performed with a local anaesthetic and also with the use of a device called a rubber dam. This device is used to protect your airway and help keep a dry field during treatment.
Despite media portrayal it is usually painless during the treatment but pain after treatment (which can be controlled with medication) is normal.
Root treated teeth often require strengthening to be kept long term because they will dry out over time and risk tooth fracture. As a result they are often crowned.
Unsuccessful treatments usually result in the tooth needing extraction. Teeth that have curved or blocked canals tend to be more complex.
For the last 10 years we have been using branded root canal treatment systems from Swiss company Mailleffer. This along with excellent training from international speakers in the specialsit subject area of Endodontics has helped us achieve the kind of results seen in the imaging below.
