Abscessed or infected teeth are no longer treated by extraction only. The other option is to have a root canal therapy treatment on the tooth. The nerve chamber of the tooth contains blood vessels and nerves, this is called the pulp. This tissue resides in the middle of the tooth and can become irritated or infected by the bacteria which cause decay. This is when we may decide to carry out root canal therapy on the tooth.
The tooth will go through several stages before an abscess is produced and often a filling may be sufficient to cure a toothache. If the pulpitis (inflammation of the pulp) is severe or an abscess results, removal of the pulp tissue and sterilisation of the root canals can allow the tooth to be saved without needing to have it extracted.
Small instruments are used to clean and shape the root canal which can be filled with rubber points once the infection has been cleared. We use the latest technology of digital x-rays and nickel titanium rotary instruments to make this process as quick and efficient as possible. Once the infection is treated, the tooth can then be restored with a filling or crown.
Jane O’Dowd is our very own root canal therapy specialist and has a masters in Endodontology. This means more complex cases can now be treated in-house at the practice without the need to refer out to a specialist.
