Root Canal Treatment in Dartford

Watch our Video about Root Canal: https://youtu.be/KIv_cfL0FZE

Kreate Dental offers a range of endodontics treatments, including root canal treatment.

Why might I need a root canal treatment?

You might need a root canal treatment to treat an infection at the centre of your tooth in what is known as your dental pulp. Usually, this infection is the result of tooth decay, but it can also be caused by an injury or an old leaky filling.

What are the symptoms of needing a root canal treatment?

You might realise you’re in need of a root canal treatment because you’re experiencing increased pain with hot or cold foods and drinks or biting down, or because a tooth has become loose. Occasionally, these infections can become incredibly uncomfortable causing sleepless night and a general unwell feeling.

With regular check-ups, we will realise you need a root canal treatment before this pain occurs. To be sure a root canal is needed, we’ll first perform an X-ray to determine whether or not the infection is present in the dental pulp.

What is the treatment actually like?

The treatment is carried out under local anaesthetic, so you won’t feel any discomfort, but you will be awake and aware throughout the treatment. We can also offer sedation.

A thin rubber sheet, also known as a dental rubber dam, will then be placed in your mouth. This is so that only the tooth being treated is showing, and the rest of the mouth is protected. A small hole will then be made using a dental drill. The tooth will be irrigated and disinfected, and the infected pulp will be removed.

Once all this has been done, we will then fill the tooth with a non-reactive material to prevent further bacterial infection. A filling is then placed over the tooth to completely seal the tooth. Usually most root canal treatments can be accomplished in one visit. However, depending on the complexity of the treatment it may take more than one visit to complete. If this is the case, your tooth will be temporarily filled initially, so that when you return to the practice we can be sure the infection has been fully removed. If it has been, we will fill the tooth with a permanent filling.

Root canal treated teeth are generally quite weak and generally will require more support especially on back teeth. We will then recommend placing a crown or onlay over the tooth to fully protect it.