02 May

Bashing The Root Canal Myth In Central London

Many people will recoil in horror if you even mention the words root and canal together, but what’s the deal with root canal treatment and is it really as bad as everybody makes out?
Root canal treatment is a common procedure, which is used to treat an infected tooth; often, it is the only alternative to tooth extraction.
What do you know about root canal treatment?
Root canal treatment is a therapy, which is recommended when an infection has reached the living tissue of the tooth, known as the pulp. The pulp contains the nerves and blood vessels and once it becomes infected, the blood supply to the tooth is reduced and the tooth starts to die. At this stage, root canal treatment is usually the only alternative to having the tooth extracted. We always do our best to save teeth because missing teeth can contribute to a range of problems, from an increased risk of oral disease, to aesthetic issues.
The actual procedure is designed to remove decayed and damaged pulp tissue and seal the root canals to prevent the infection from spreading. Your dentist will drill into the teeth to get to the root canals and then take away all of the decayed tissue; the root canals will then be cleaned thoroughly and filled and sealed using dental material.
After root canal treatment
After root canal treatment it is common to place a new crown on the tooth. This helps to strengthen the tooth and protect it from more damage in the future. Crowns are custom-made and they can be made from porcelain and other ceramics to blend with the natural tooth colour.
Is root canal treatment painful?
The belief that root canal treatment is something to be feared and loathed is a myth; in fact, patients rarely feel any pain when they have the procedure because the tooth is numbed completely before any work takes place.
Dentists aim to make you feel as comfortable as possible before the procedure and most of our patients are amazed at how painless treatment is when the procedure is complete. If you’ve been dreading going to the dentist because of a fear of needing root canal treatment, we can promise you that it’s really not that bad and it’s a much better alternative to losing your tooth!