ROOT CANAL TREATMENT NORWICH

Rooting out the problem, do you need Root Canal Treatment?

Do you have a toothache that is taking all the enjoyment out of mealtimes? Have you suffered trauma to a tooth? Have you noticed one of your teeth looking darker than usual? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, you might be in need of endodontic treatment, more commonly known as root canal therapy.

The words “root canal” are enough to make even the most stoic of dental patients feel anxious, so let us put you at ease. At Riverside Dental, your award-winning dental practice in Norwich, we provide professional, compassionate care using the latest dental techniques and equipment. We’ll talk you through every step of your root canal therapy, so there won’t be any surprises.

In addition, we have our own endodontist (root canal expert) who is able to treat even the most difficult of teeth and put your nerves at ease throughout.

When would you need root canal therapy?

Your root canal refers to a channel that runs through the centre of each of your teeth into their roots. Within the root canal lives soft tissue called pulp, which includes fibres, nerves and blood vessels. When the pulp is damaged by decay or injury, your tooth root becomes more prone to infection, resulting in toothache, discolouration of your tooth as the pulp dies, and swelling or tenderness of the surrounding gum tissue.

While over-the-counter pain relief may help take the edge off your toothache, the pain won’t completely go away unless you get root canal therapy. What’s more, if left untreated infection can spread beyond your tooth.

What are the steps involved during root canal therapy?

To get an accurate picture of your dental health, we’ll carry out a comprehensive oral examination, including x-rays. From this, we’ll carefully plan your root canal therapy, explaining each of the steps to you and giving you plenty of time to ask questions. In general, this is how your treatment will proceed:

• To keep your discomfort to a minimum, you’ll be given a local anaesthetic
• Your dentist or endodontist will then create a small opening at the top of your tooth in order to access the pulp beneath
• Using narrow files, the dead pulp will be carefully removed
• You may then be sent home after having a temporary filling attached
• On your return visit, the root canal will be filled and a permanent filling attached to repair your tooth
• In most cases a crown will need to be planned to go over the newly root treated tooth to increase the strength and reduce the chance of it breaking

Once your treatment is complete, you may experience some tenderness and pain for a few days, but this can be effectively managed using over-the-counter pain relief.

Risks and benefits

There is always a risk that despite our best efforts, your root canal therapy may fail as unfortunately there is never any guarantee. If this occurs, we will discuss other options with you to restore your tooth. However, in 8-9 out of 10 cases, root canal therapy is successful and results in the treated tooth lasting for up to 10 years without the need for follow-up treatment.

Meanwhile, the immediate benefits include: relief from persistent toothache, peace of mind as your infection is cleared, and knowing that you’ve saved your tooth from extraction.

So don’t put up with that toothache any longer. Get back to enjoying every meal and smile confidently with no discoloured teeth! In order to get your root canal therapy in Norwich at Riverside Dental, contact us today and speak to one of our friendly team!

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