How it’s done- The root canal by our dentist

Root canal; it’s one of those treatments that invites either confusion or wincing depending on who you talk to about it. But our dentist Luton is proficient and passionate when it comes to root canals.

When you may need a root canal

A root canal is used as a treatment for an abscess under the tooth. There are several reasons why they may have formed; it could be related to receding gums or a cracked tooth that extends from the tooth down the length of its root. Or perhaps the affected tooth is in an advanced state of decay and the infection started within the nerve itself before descending? Either way, the same problem is faced by our dentist Luton: how to resolve and clean the abscess without disrupting either the tooth or the jaw bone. An abscess that is located between both the gum and the tooth often has a very low blood flow, often making it unresponsive to antibiotics and difficult to gain access to.

How does a root canal work

The solution is to go through the tooth; we drill an access hole at the top of the tooth, directly above the abscess and descend through the tooth removing pulp as we go until we reach the root canal. Root canals are very small, sometimes less than a millimetre in diameter, and in order to get closer to it, the root requires expanding. This is done very slowly and carefully using a set of round files.

When the root canal is fully rounded, we can gain access through the tooth to the abscess beneath it, draining and cleaning it before packing the affected area with an antiseptic biologically dissolving material and performing a full root filling. This filling starts beneath the tooth and extends up the entire length of the tooth back to the access hole, which is also filled completing the root canal.

The procedure is largely painless although some local anaesthetic is used and it is often broken up over multiple treatment sessions. We’ve performed many successful root canals and have invested in the latest equipment to accelerate and and improve precision. Our rotary endodontics drill piece allows much of the extension of the root canal to be performed using a dental drill.

Between sessions there should be a gap of a few days, in between sessions antiseptic solution is placed in the root canal. This has the advantage of slowly seeping into the tooth, reducing the chance of a recurring abscess. During these few days between treatments, the access hole is closed with a temporary filling allowing you to continue with your everyday life.

Dental emergencies

If you require emergency dental care, do not hesitate to get in contact with our dentist Luton. We are happy to see new patients who require urgent care. If you have a dental abscess and are experiencing nausea, a high temperature and skin mottling please seek immediate care from your nearest hospital as you are showing the signs of sepsis, a life-threatening condition. If you have any questions or are interested in booking an appointment at our clinic for yourself or a family member please feel free to get in contact with the clinic. You can do this via the phone or using the forms on our website.