Root Canal Treatment Aspley & Bulimba

Protect your tooth from further harm

Though you may think of root canal therapy as a painful procedure, in fact it’s designed to relieve the pain caused by an infected tooth.

Root canal therapy is designed to retain a tooth in the mouth when the nerve has died or is dying, restoring the tooth to its full strength and function. It is a common misconception that a root canal kills a tooth and that eventually extraction will be necessary. Once a tooth has emerged through the gums the tooth’s nerve is not vital. All it does is provide the sensation of hot and cold. The absence of a nerve will not affect the everyday function of the tooth.

More often than not after a root canal therapy your tooth will be significantly weakened. In order to protect and strengthen your treated tooth it may be necessary to have a porcelain crown. This will ensure the integrity of your existing tooth and protect it.

While a porcelain crown will strengthen and protect your tooth, you will still need to look after your oral health as a tooth covered by a dental crown can still become infected.

Root canal therapy and what’s involved

Root canal therapy is a complex and technically demanding procedure but one which, when performed well, has a very high success rate. Most patients report that having root canal treatment today is as unobtrusive as getting a filling. The best news is that root canal therapy can save your tooth and your smile.

If an infection reaches the root of a tooth it is usually because a cavity has been left untreated. This is one of the reasons why it is important to visit the dentist regularly: at regular check-ups, decay can be identified and treated with a filling before it becomes too serious.

However, if the decay has gone unchecked, it will spread inside your tooth’s hard enamel to the root canal system. The root canal of your tooth contains the soft tissue (pulp) as well as the nerve tissue. People who don’t visit the dentist regularly will know something is wrong because when decay reaches the pulp of your tooth it can cause quite severe pain.

If the decay is not too extensive the tooth can be saved by root canal therapy.

Root Canal Therapy Aspley & Bulimba

Root canal therapy involves a couple of steps:

  1. The first step is when the decay and infection is removed from the tooth. Your dentist will clean out the decay and infection by making an opening through the top of the tooth.
  2. Through this opening the infected pulp is removed, and the canals are cleaned and shaped.
  3. Your newly cleaned tooth will be filled in and a dental crown placed over the top.

If you would like to find out more, please contact our friendly staff on (07) 3863 3888 or contact us via email.