Root canal treatment is required when the nerve of the tooth or blood supply gets infected by decay or trauma, and often causes a lot of pain. An abscess will probably have formed due to the bacteria, and the dentist will either extract the tooth or carry out root canal treatment to preserve the tooth, also known as endodontics.

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Available Treatments

In the UK, root canal treatment is carried out by a dentist and followed up with several appointments to ensure further infection doesn’t occur. A long way off yet, but according the BBC experts are researching the use of laser treatment to regenerate the tooth, which will go some way in eradicating the current time consuming process of root canal treatment.

Who Performs Root Canal Treatment?

Almost all dentists can carry out this work in the UK, NHS and private. If they are unable to treat you then you may be referred to an endodontist who specialises in treating root canals.

If you are looking for a private dentist in Leicester to carry out the procedure, then a dental practise such as http://www.sjrdental.co.uk/ may be worth contacting. Always check for recommendations.

What Happens?

Prior to treatment you may have been given a course of antibiotics, and the dentist may take some X-rays of the infected tooth and gum to assess the damage.

Generally, a local anaesthetic will be used to numb the area, although if the tooth has completely died, it may not be necessary.

At the first treatment, the tooth will be opened up through the top part of your tooth, called the crown. This is to enable access to the soft tissue inside the tooth and remove any infected pulp. Any abscess that may be there can also be drained, then the area will then be cleaned and the root canal opened up to allow filling. A temporary filling may also be put in place until the next visit, and this procedure can several hours. For further information, the Dental Health Organisation have some simple FAQ’s on the subject.

The follow up appointment will involve fixing and sealing of the root canal. Root canal treatment can restore the tooth for up to 10 years, particularly if a crown is also fitted and good oral hygiene is continued.