The thought of visiting the dentist for a root canal can be intimidating, often drawing up images of painful and expensive treatments. However, a root canal may be the most appropriate avenue to save decayed or infected teeth. Marsfield Dental Care provides root canal therapy treatment in Macquarie Park and nearby suburbs in Sydney. Risks and consequences may apply to root canal therapy and it is best that you come and have your teeth assessed so that the risks, consequences and benefits of treatment can be informed to you in-person. A second opinion may be recommended when considering complex treatment
Sometimes a simple filling isn’t enough to stop tooth decay and the spread of infection. When decay and bacteria have invaded the pulp of the tooth (the part that keeps your teeth alive), this can lead to a bad toothache. The infection can even spread to the surrounding bone, causing extreme discomfort when biting down. At this stage, you may be suffering from what we call apical periodontitis (infection of the tissue surrounding the tooth).
When you want to address the pain, but you don’t want the infected tooth extracted, root canal therapy (or “endodontic treatment”) might be the best option for you.
Do you need root canal treatment?
Many of our Sydney patients avoid or delay dental treatments, but ignoring the problem usually only intensifies both the pain and the decay of the tooth. Rest assured that we do everything we can to make root canal therapy at Marsfield Dental Care as comfortable as possible.
To ensure you can be treated without delay, it’s important to know the signs of decaying teeth. If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, book an appointment with us at your earliest convenience:
- Intense tooth pain
- More sensitivity to hot and cold
- Traumatic injury to the mouth
- Discolouration of the tooth
- Swollen or tender gums
- An abscess on the gum line
- A crack in a filling
- Swelling of the face
- The presence of pus
What’s involved in a root canal?
We have the experience to perform root canal therapy as part of our general dentistry treatments at Marsfield Dental Care. Our friendly team provides an honest, efficient and effective service to make the root canal process as straightforward and comfortable for you as we can.
The process involves the following steps:
- We diagnose the need for a root canal, based on your symptoms and an inspection of the mouth.
- We numb the infected tooth and the area around it.
- We make an opening through the crown of the tooth to give us access to the pulp chamber.
- We clean out the infection and any unhealthy pulp.
- We fill the canals with a material, to provide a blockage from infection or contamination.
- We restore the tooth with a protective crown, so it looks and functions like normal.
Following root canal therapy, you may experience mild pain for a few days, since it’s a major procedure that can irritate surrounding gums and nerves. Avoid chewing hard foods during this time, and you may be able to use over-the-counter pain killers if the sensitivity is particularly bad.