Root Canal Treatment (Endodontics)

Root canal treatment removes infected or inflamed tissue from inside a tooth, cleans and disinfects the canals, and seals them to save a tooth that would otherwise need extraction. It is used when decay or injury reaches the tooth's pulp, often relieving the associated pain. The practice carries out endodontic treatment for adults and children, with the cost depending on how many canals the tooth has. A crown is usually recommended afterwards to protect the restored tooth.

Root canal treatment, or endodontics, addresses problems inside the tooth — specifically the pulp, the soft core containing nerves and blood vessels. When the pulp becomes inflamed or infected through deep decay, a crack or trauma, it can cause significant toothache and, if untreated, lead to an abscess. Rather than removing the tooth, root canal treatment aims to clear the problem from within and keep the natural tooth in place. At the Chlamtacz practice the tooth is numbed with local anaesthetic and isolated, after which the dentist removes the diseased pulp, carefully shapes and disinfects the narrow root canals, and fills them with a sealing material to prevent reinfection. Front teeth usually have a single canal while molars may have three or more, which is why treatment of back teeth takes longer and costs more. Because a root-treated tooth no longer has its internal blood supply it can become more brittle, so the dentist often rebuilds it with a glass-fibre post and recommends a crown to protect it against fracture and restore full chewing strength. Mild tenderness for a few days afterwards is common and usually settles. Root canal treatment is suitable for most teeth with healthy enough surrounding bone and gum; the dentist confirms whether a tooth can be saved this way, or whether extraction and replacement would be more predictable, after examination and imaging.