If you’ve heard of a root canal procedure, the chances are that you’ve probably heard the horror stories about how painful they are and want to avoid them at all cost. There is an element of truth in this but the reality is that it is not the root canal treatment that causes the pain but the infection that is removed during the treatment. The dreaded root canal actually brings an end to the pain of dental infection and could be very much needed if you’re in great pain.

Infections happen in the teeth when the protective layer of enamel is breached and bacteria is allowed to penetrate to the heart of the tooth. This then attacks the pulp and dental nerve causing great pain and ultimately destroying it, causing the tooth to die and fall out. This is obviously not a very pleasant experience and needs to be treated as soon as possible. If the infection is caught soon enough it may be treatable with antibiotics but in some cases the infection is too deep rooted and needs to be treated with a root canal.

This involves the dentist drilling down into the root of the tooth and removing the infection by hand. They will then fill the cavity with medicine to remove any residual traces of the infection before filling the cavity and usually covering the tooth with a dental crown. This will protect the tooth from further infection.

Your City of London dentist will use an anaesthetic during the operation so there is no real need for the surgery to be any more painful than any other dental treatment. If you think you may be suffering from an infection you need to see a dentist as soon as possible as the sooner you receive treatment the less pain you will suffer and the easier treatment will be.

Pulpitis is the inflammation of the dental pulp, which includes the dental nerve and blood supply located within the tooth. If the pulp becomes inflamed or infected it can be the source of very nasty pain.

Pulpitis is caused by bacterial infection of the dental pulp, initially caused by dental cavities. Once the infection penetrates to the centre of the tooth it will cause a toothache that may be intense and intermittent or dull and throbbing and can be very severe. These are known as acute and chronic pulpitis and are caused by slightly different areas of the pulp becoming infected.

Pulpitis can also be classified as reversible and irreversible. This distinction is made by the level of inflammation that has occurred and whether it is possible for the inflammation to disappear on its own or whether it will need dental treatment. Reversible pulpitis is more mild inflammation caused by dental caries that should heal naturally. Irreversible pulpitis will need a treatment called a root canal to remove the infection and bring an end to the pain. However, it is important that if you suspect an inflammation of any sort has occurred, that you see a City of London dentist as soon as possible. This is because even if the pain has disappeared, it may be as the result of the death of the dental nerve, rather than the inflammation receding naturally.

If the infection is deemed to be irreversible, your dentist will need to carry out a root canal, a procedure with a fearsome reputation, but one that may be slightly undeserved. A well-performed root canal should be no more painful than a filling or crown.

A dental crown is a `cap` that fits over a tooth, it’s called a crown because it fits like a hat says a City of London dentist. If you have a problem with a tooth that needs a crown, then it is most likely to be a cracked tooth. This can be the result of an eating accident or a fall, it may be that you need one to finish off a root canal treatment. This is where the entire inside of the tooth is drilled and scraped out, then it is treated with a light to kill off any bacteria. The hole is then filled with a hard material to strengthen it and a crown is placed over the top to protect and seal it in place. A cracked or chipped tooth will need to be fixed as soon as possible, or the result will be infections, a lacerated tongue or worse. Dental cement is used to wipe over the cleaned out crack, then a crown will be placed over the crack to seal it in. If the crack is on the front of the tooth, then the crown will sit on the entire front of the tooth. A new method of making crowns is now available at many dental surgeries, it allows the dentist to do the job in just one visit. It’s called the CEREC method and is a machine that works on a 3D program controlled by a computer. You will be able to see your new crown even before it is made. The dentist will take digital photos and scan them into the machine, this then works out the dimensions of the crown and recommends a blank for the job. This is loaded into a milling machine that sculptures the crown while the dentist prepares your tooth to accept it. Within around 30 minutes max, you could be having a crown fitted onto the treated cracked tooth.

When your teeth or gums become infected it can be a very uncomfortable and unpleasant experience. Bacterial infection takes hold in teeth and gums that are suffering from decay. When the tough enamel is penetrated by dental decay it exposes the sensitive cavity at the centre of the tooth, where the nerve is located. This can then become infected leading to toothache and dental abscesses.

When a tooth is infected in its root, the bacterial infection irritates the extremely sensitive dental nerve causing toothache. When the body fights back it produces excess white blood cells to kill off the infection. These can sometimes build up in tissue around the infected tooth causing a small abscess. This can be very painful and can be prone to bursting which can easily spread the infection.

Toothache and abscesses can both be prevented with increased cleaning far before it gets to this stage. Effective cleaning removes plaque, one of the main causes of tooth decay, this means that enamel is kept strong and healthy and infections cannot penetrate to the centre of the tooth. If the infection has taken hold it is essential that you visit a London dentist as soon as possible. A dentist can remove the infection, possibly using a root canal treatment, before filling the cavity and sealing it with a dental crown. Dentists are also trained to remove abscesses without spreading the infection to other areas of the mouth. It is important to remove any infected matter as it can cause tooth loss and has strong links to heart disease and even strokes.

It used to be the case that dental crowns had to have a base made of metal to act as a solid foundation, but with today’s improved technology crowns can be made of pure porcelain. This makes modern dental crowns appear very realistic and ideal for transforming the appearance of damaged or discoloured teeth.

Crowns can be used for a variety of dental repairs such as fillings and root canal treatments. The crown acts as a protective barrier against any further damage to the tooth once the repair has been carried out. In the past a metal foundation was needed to prevent crowns breaking when fixed in the mouth but modern porcelain is now strong enough to use without a metal base. This means that porcelain crowns not only keep teeth safe but they also look great. The extra strength of porcelain is enhanced by the use of tooth-coloured dental bonding to cement the crown over the teeth. This provides an extra layer of protection and keeps the crown firmly in place.

New technology available to London dentists also includes CEREC, a system that involves manufacturing crowns from a single piece of porcelain using computer-guided mills. This has improved the strength of crowns and significantly reduced the time needed for design and manufacture. A CEREC crown can be milled in only six minutes and fitted in the same appointment. For patients with badly damaged teeth it is now possible to completely transform the appearance of their smile in an afternoon with porcelain crowns.

A root canal treatment, also known as endodontics, is a procedure specifically designed to deal with infected matter or decay located in the centre of the tooth. To fully understand the procedure you must first know that the teeth are made of several layers of different material. On the outside is the tooth enamel, the strong protective layer which surrounds the softer dentine on the inside, supporting the structure. Inside that is the soft tissue centre of the tooth containing the nerve.

The root canal of the tooth is the pulpy soft tissue that runs down from the tooth into the jawbone and gum securing the tooth. The pulp contains nerve endings and blood vessels that form the living part of the tooth. When tooth decay happens, this pulpy centre and root canal can become infected spreading down into the gum and bone. Needless to say this can be very painful as the infection is directly attacking the nerve. This infection can also spread to the gums and can cause a painful swelling known as a tooth abscess.

The root canal treatment is designed to save the tooth and alleviate pain by preventing the spread of infection and ultimately removing it. To do this the dentist will need to drill down through the tooth to get to the infected area. In the hands of a well-trained dentist and with the proper anaesthetic this process should be relatively painless and no more painful than having a regular filling. Once the infection is removed the cavity is filled and then sealed with a dental crown to prevent further infection.

Root canal treatments have a bad reputation as being painful and unpleasant but the reality is quite different. A root canal treatment from a City of London dentist could actually prevent a lot of pain and stop the spread of dangerous infections in the mouth.

Of all the most feared dental procedures none is so iconic as the root canal. The obvious reason behind this is the presence of the dentist’s drill. But is the root canal treatment really that bad? Well, put simply, not really. In fact root canal treatments are often some of the most important procedures in dentistry, that can make the difference between keeping and losing a tooth. Ask anybody who has suffered the pain of a toothache or tooth abscess and been given some relief by a root canal and they would probably tell you the same.

A dentist will use a root canal when a cavity has extended to the point it has broken through to the root of the tooth. This then becomes infected and the infection gradually eats away the pulp and attacks the nerve. These nerves can be incredibly sensitive and the source of some of the nastiest toothaches. The dentist needs to get inside the tooth and remove all the infected material and depending on the state of the nerve, possibly remove that as well. If the infection has killed the root, the tooth may no longer hurt but the infection is still capable of spreading to other teeth and even entering the bloodstream.

The dentist uses the famous drill to penetrate to the root of the tooth. They will then extract any infected mater before filling the cavity with medicine to destroy any residual infection. The root canal will then be filled and possibly crowned to preserve the structural integrity of the tooth. The whole of the root canal will take place under a local anaesthetic so there is no reason why it should be any more painful than any other dental procedure.

After the surgery the patient may feel some numbness or pain for a few days but this will usually pass and can be controlled with over-the-counter pain relief. The bad reputation of a root canal is perhaps more associated with the pain that precedes it than the operation itself. A root canal could bring an end to some very unpleasant sensations and still leave you with your own tooth at the end of it. Credit where credit is due.

If you are suffering from a toothache, or have been recently, make an appointment with a London dentist as soon as possible and a root canal could offer you the relief you’ve been looking for.

One dental procedure conjures up fear more than all the others. The dreaded root canal treatment, with its association with drills, is one of the most iconic of the nasty dental surgeries. However, the reality is slightly different. A root canal treatment is actually one of the most useful dental procedures that can make the difference between keeping a tooth and losing it. A successful treatment can alleviate pain and significantly reduce the need for further expensive treatment.

When a tooth becomes infected it is attacked by the bacteria and begins to die. This can be very painful as the infection occurs in the sensitive centre of the tooth, where all the nerve endings are located. A root canal will remove all the infected pulp, before filling the cavity with medicine and sealing it so no further infection can occur. This way, you may loose the sensitivity of the tooth, but the pain and infection will be gone, and you still have your original tooth.

The procedure will be carried out under anaesthetic, so there is no reason why a root canal should be any more painful than a regular filling. Although the dentist may need to use the drill, it really is only the sound and image that terrifies patients. The dentist will even numb the area with gel before he injects the anaesthetic.

Once the cavity has been filled, a crown or veneer is usually placed over the top to preserve the integrity of the tooth. Root canals are often the only option available to dentists to save the tooth. If the tooth is not treated or removed, the infection can quickly spread to other teeth in the mouth and can even infiltrate the bloodstream causing further medical problems, including heart disease.

As you can see, far from being feared, a root canal can be one of the most beneficial dental treatments. For anyone who has experienced the searing pain of an infected tooth, a root canal can be the blessing that removes the pain. If you think you have an infected tooth, even if the pain appears to have gone away, make an appointment with a London dentist who will be able to fully examine your teeth for infections and abscesses.

When a patient has a chipped or cracked tooth that it is unable to fix with dental bonding, it may be necessary to apply a dental veneer to save the tooth. Dental veneers are also used to seal teeth after fillings or root canal treatments. The veneers are made of porcelain and take the form of thin shells that fit over the top of existing teeth. Modern veneers can be incredibly thin and have a translucent quality that makes them appear just like real teeth.

Veneers are not only used to repair damage that has occurred to teeth but may be used for cosmetic purposes. For cases of badly stained or discoloured teeth, a whole set of veneers may be used to cover the discolouration. The same might happen for a patient with badly worn or uneven teeth.

Manufactured in laboratory conditions, porcelain veneers are cemented to the existing teeth by dental bonding. They do cost slightly more than the old composite veneers but they are more durable and the difference in quality is visibly noticeable. Because veneers fit over existing teeth, the dentist will need to wear down some of the enamel to allow room for the new veneer. This process is permanent and cannot be reversed. However, as today’s enamels become thinner and thinner, due to new technology, the amount of preparation work is reduced and some of the very latest enamels can even be removed.

Veneers are very useful and versatile cosmetic tools. For some patients who have spacing issues, or even alignment issues, a row of veneers could vastly improve the appearance of the teeth in an afternoon, without the need for months, or even years, of uncomfortable and ugly braces. Likewise for whitening procedures, which are often only minimally successful, a row of veneers can produce the effect of white teeth without the need for chemicals or repeated whitening. A City of London dentist will be able to offer advice on porcelain veneers with regard to suitability and costing.

Root canal treatments are necessary when tooth decay has killed or is likely to kill a tooth. The procedure involves removing the pulp from the centre of a tooth. This prevents painful infections from happening in the tooth which could also spread to other teeth. Root canals are also effective for treating infections that have developed into abscesses.

Root canal treatments have a reputation as being one of the nastiest and most painful procedures you can have performed at the dentist, but this is not necessarily the case. Often a root canal is little more than a filling and the pain is minimal. The dentist will do all they can to make the procedure as painless as possible.

Before the procedure the dentist will numb the gums with a jelly like substance. They will then further numb the gums, teeth and tongue using a local anaesthetic. The decaying pulp will then be removed, often using a drill. This is the aspect of the process that causes nightmares but it is really a relatively simple procedure. Once a cavity is created in the pulp of the tooth it is filled with medicine and filling material and finally a root canal filling. A permanent filling or crown may be needed to keep the root canal filling in place permanently. Patients may experience numbness or pain for one or two days after the root canal but this can be treated with a variety of painkillers.

Root canals may have a bad reputation but there are very valuable and necessary parts of dental surgery. Bacteria from infected teeth can enter the bloodstream and cause infections in other parts of the body. If a tooth is infected a root canal will need to be performed as soon as possible to limit the spread of infection. Root canals also eliminate the need to completely remove teeth and as such are also useful cosmetic procedures.

If you are suffering pain in one or more of your teeth, have a tooth abscess or think you may need a root canal treatment, don’t let fear put you off. You need to make an appointment to see a London dentist as soon as possible to prevent the spread of infection and save your tooth.