WHY DO I NEED A ROOT FILLING?

You may have heard the expression `the nerve is dying or dead'. The blood supply and nerve supply are contained within a small chamber inside the tooth which extends down the root canal tube into the bone - commonly called the 'nerve' although your dentist will call it the `pulp'. If bacteria invade this chamber either in dental decay, or directly from the mouth when a filling is lost then the blood supply may stop and the bacteria will have a warm, moist environment in which to grow.

Once bacteria are established in the nerve [pulp] chamber you will need a root treatment to clean out the chamber and tubes, and obliterate the space by sealing the chamber with a special rubber material called Gutta Percha. Antibiotics WILL NOT kill these bacteria.

HOW DO I KNOW I NEED A ROOT FILLING?

The extreme case is very obvious. Your face is swollen, red and extremely painful and you will probably be running a temperature.

However, the first indication of trouble is sensitivity to COLD and HOT. Once the tooth becomes sensitive to HOT then the pulp is irreparably damaged and the bacteria have invaded.

WHAT IS AN ABSCESS?

When the bacteria have invaded the root canal, chamber, and root, they multiply and produce toxins [poisons] which cause pain, and swelling as these toxins pour through the end of the root canal into the surrounding bone. The body tries to defend itself from this bacterial attack and sends the cavalry into battle. The cavalry are the protective cells in the blood which defeat invaders, they are called `white blood corpuscles'.

WHAT IS A CHRONIC ABSCESS?

Your dentist will take a routine X-Ray to check on your teeth, roots and bone every 2-5 years. It is possible and not unusual to find quite large infections in the jaw bone with no outward symptoms at all, not even minimal discomfort. The infection in the jaw bone around the end of the root is caused by bacteria and toxins leaking out of the end of the root. The body's defences are containing the infection, but only just. The chronic abscess is visible as a dark area on the X-Ray at the end of the root.

WHAT IS A GUM BOIL?

A gum boil or SINUS is the easiest path of escape for the infection at the end of the root. It is usually through the gum at the level of the infection, A gum boil will swell and then release the toxins [pus] from time to time. The gum boil may remain swollen all the time or may intermittently swell then disappear.

This is a `TIME BOMB' - waiting to explode into an acute abscess at any time, with pain and swelling.

WHO CAN DO ROOT CANAL TREATMENT?

Your regular general dentist can carry out root canal treatment in most straight forward cases. There are situations where special techniques and equipment are required to satisfactorily complete a root canal filling. There are specialist dentists called ENDODONTISTS, who carry out this treatment.

WHAT IS A ROOT CANAL?

Above the gum and visible in the mouth is the CROWN of the tooth, Below the gum supporting the crown is the ROOT, The root has a tube running from its tip in the bone to a chamber inside the crown of the tooth, This tube is lined with special cells which made the tooth develop starting at the time of birth. As we get older these cells (ondontoblasts) produce more and more root material and the root canal [tube] gets progressively smaller with age.

Diffierent teeth have differing numbers of roots and a variable number of tubes (or root canals) in each root. Normally, the incisor and canine teeth have one root and one root canal. Premolar can have one or two roots arid molars two or three roots, with up to 5 roots canals.

HOW IS A ROOT TREATMENT DONE?

Firstly an access hole is cut into the top of the tooth to expose the small nerve [pulp] chamber within the tooth. Then very fine instruments called small round files (21.-31mm long) are used to clean, wash, and dry the canals.

If the root canal is very infected you may need to have a special sedative dressing placed in the pulp chamber and canals between the two appointments required to complete the root filling

Often the root filling can be completed in one visit.

WHAT IS APICAL SURGERY?

Sometimes it is not possible to enter the root from the top end or crown of the tooth [the part of the tooth visible in the mouth] so we enter through the bottom end of the root, Gently lifting the gum and cutting off the infected part of the end of the root.

The material used for this is a cement which sets very hard.

WHAT IS A RE-TREATMENT?

When a root filling has been completed and there is still infected material within the root canal system. Then removal of the existing root filling is carried out and if possible a new better root filling is placed to eliminate any spaces.

<[TOP]>