Root Canal treatment may be necessary for a number of reasons. It is designed to save infected teeth from extraction.

Your teeth consist of 2 main areas – the enamel (outer coating) and dentine (the inner area and tooth root). Deep inside the tooth root you will find the pulp. The pulp is soft and contains the blood vessels and the nerve which gives the tooth feeling. If decay gets close to or into the pulp, it can become very painful. Removal of the nerve and the tooth decay by root canal treatment, removes the pain and can save the affected tooth from extraction.

Root canal treatment means removing the pulp and then replacing it with a root filling.
This is done by making a hole through the outer layer of hard tooth into the pulp, and using special files to remove the fleshy nerve. The root canal is then filed into a smooth conical canal into which the filling is placed.

A root filling is different from an ordinary filling and treatment will take longer to complete. It will usually require two or three appointments of up to forty minutes each. After this, a crown may be required to provide additional support and strength to the affected tooth.

While for many, even the word, ‘Root Canal’ can conjure thoughts of pain and anxiety, this no longer need be the case. Dr.Andrew Brown will use a local anaesthetic to make the tooth numb, before any treatment is started. In some cases, if the nerve is already dead, the root canal may be performed painlessly without even the need for an injection.

Dr. Andrew Brown has a special interest in root canal treatment and Restorative Dentistry. Previously, if you were suffering from this condition, the affected tooth would have simply been removed. Today however, Dr. Brown will ensure every possible step is taken to save your natural teeth with optimal comfort. Root canal treatment has a good success rate, leaving your tooth pain and infection free.

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