Root Canal Treatment

What is Root Canal Treatment?

Root Canal Treatment (RCT) is a procedure where an infected or inflamed nerve is removed from a tooth. This is often needed when trauma or tooth decay has damaged the nerve of a tooth. It is a highly effective way of treating and saving a tooth that would otherwise be extracted. 

We know that some patients are concerned with having RCT and ‘know someone who had a bad experience.’ Our expert dentists have over 20 years of experience and work with the latest advancements in technology to ensure this procedure is as simple as possible for the North Brisbane community. The procedure is usually very comfortable and so minimal in pain that many of our patients actually fall asleep during the procedure!

 Why shouldn’t I just pull the tooth out?

We know that when you’ve been dealing with a toothache for multiple days, or even months, once you get to us you ‘just want to take it out.’ The aesthetics of missing teeth are plain to see, but the hidden consequences of tooth loss can also affect your overall health and sense of well-being.

So what are the long-term problems associated with missing teeth?

1. Bone Loss: following an extraction, the bone will gradually resorb and become weaker. This degeneration will cause areas of the face to sag and wrinkles to form. It also makes dental implants more difficult to place. The longer you wait to replace missing teeth, the more the bone shrinks and weakens.

2. Alignment Changes: remaining teeth will begin to move into the space left by the missing tooth, leading to bite collapse and leaving sensitive roots exposed. The teeth next door may tilt into the gap, increasing the risk of fracturing due to poor distribution of force and making it difficult to replace with gap with a denture or implant. The opposing tooth will continue to grow/over-erupt to fill the missing gap, causing root exposure and the tooth to become mobile.

   Misaligned teeth may cause pain that radiates throughout the face, head, neck, and even the back.

3. Difficulty Eating: many people are okay with losing back teeth ‘because no one can see them’ but don’t consider that they are losing a major area for chewing. Foods that are rich in vitamins and fibre, like fruits and vegetables, may be particularly difficult to chew and avoiding these healthy foods may result in nutritional deficiencies and digestive problems.

 Stages of Root Canal Treatment