Endodontic Therapy

SERVICES

Root canal therapy carries a poor reputation. Twenty first century education and technology though has changed this and root canal therapy is now a reliable, painless procedure that we perform routinely at Dentistry in Elwood.

Once decay, trauma or injury has affected the pulp (nerves and blood vessels in the centre of the tooth), our options are limited to removing the tooth or performing endodontic therapy. The tooth is anaesthetised and the affected tissue is cleaned out along with any infection in the tooth. Treatment may take 1, 2 or 3 visits depending upon the number of canals in the tooth and the degree of infection present. The objective of treatment is to clean, sharp and enlarge each canal so that a sealer can be precisely placed into the empty and clean canals. Our job is to clean the canals and it is the job of your immune system to clear up any infection that may have spread beyond the canals and into surrounding bone. Sometimes, we may place you on antibiotics to help your body do that. It is important to complete the course of antibiotics exactly as prescribed by Dr. Mark Peddey. If more than one appointment is needed to complete the therapy, a medication is placed inside the tooth and a temporary filling is placed. If you were in pain prior to the root canal therapy, you should now feel better. Occasionally Dr. Mark Peddey will recommend Nurofen for pain management.

It is important to remember that once the root canal has been completed, the tooth will require further treatment. That usually involves a filling and a crown. Occasionally, a front tooth only requires a filling.

Not all endodontic therapy is successful. If the root is fractured, infection is unresponsive to antibiotics or the canals are blocked, success rate drops significantly. If we can foresee possible complications, Dr. Mark Peddey may refer you to a specialist Endodontist. Our patients enjoy an extremely high success rate for root canals treated by Dr. Mark Peddey. This simple treatment can save your natural teeth and prevent the need for implants or bridges.

Once a root canal has been completed, it is normal for you to experience some “soreness” near the tip of the root for a couple of days. You can usually feel this soreness while chewing with this tooth. There is a big difference between being sore and being in pain though. You should have no pain and should call Dr. Mark Peddey personally if you are truly hurting.

Extraction is the other option but not a good one in most cases. It becomes more expensive and time consuming to replace a missing tooth.