General Dentistry - Root Canal Treatments

At Smile Artistry™ it is our goal to help you preserve your natural teeth for a lifetime, so you can smile with confidence.

Root canal therapy (endodontics) treats disorders of the nerve (also called the pulp) of the tooth. It used to be that a tooth with a diseased or infected nerve had to be removed. In 95 per cent of the cases today, however, this is no longer true. We believe in saving teeth (instead of removing them). Therefore we make every effort at Smile Artistry™ to help you keep your natural teeth for a lifetime.

What Makes Root Canal Therapy Necessary?

The following are the most common factors contributing to a need for root canal treatment:

- Trauma, such as a physical blow to a tooth or a constant striking of a tooth in the opposite jaw that traumatises the tooth.
- Physical irritation caused by a deep decay or a very large filling.
- Severe gum disease/recession

Regardless of the initial cause, the tooth pulp becomes irritated and infected. Bacteria grow within the tooth pulp, causing pressure and pain, sometimes accompanied by swelling of the face. Sometime the deterioration of the pulp happens so gradually that little pain is felt. Either way, eventually the bacteria can destroy the pulp. As this happens, the bone surrounding the tooth may become infected and abscessed, which may lead to the destruction of the bone surrounding the tooth.

What Happens During Treatment?
At Smile Artistry™ if we determine through x-rays and a clinical examination that root canal therapy is necessary, we will schedule a series of appointments for you. It is important that you keep these appointments to prevent delays in treatment and healing, which can affect the outcome. It's also essential that you take all antibiotics and medications prescribed to hasten healing and reduce swelling.

This picture illustrates the final out come of root canal therapy and allows this patient to preserve their natural teeth allowing the confidence to smile for life.

At Smile Artistry™ our Dentists have undertaken advanced training in the latest endodontic techniques. We use the latest in endodontic instrumentation, with the use of K3 rotary nickel titanium instrumentation. The latest of equipment together with our highly skilled Dentists contribute to a painless and comfortable experience for our patients

These pictures are courtesy of SybronEndo and illustrate the latest in Rotary Nickel Titanium Instrumentation. 

After Treatment Instructions
After your first root canal visit when the nerve is removed, you should feel some mild discomfort for 24-48 hours when chewing on the tooth.  The discomfort is not significant and does not require pain relief.  This discomfort is due to the anti-bacterial actions of the medication placed inside the tooth.  You should no longer feel any toothache or tooth sensitivity.  After your second visit there should be minimal or no discomfort. 

Your Smile Artistry™ Dentist will recommend whether a crown, onlay or filling is placed on the tooth following its root canal treatment.  It is usual that to seal the tooth effectively, a crown is placed on the tooth, and to get the best results this is best done within 30 days of completion of the root canal treatment.

A Final Word
Throughout your root canal treatment, you may have questions or concerns not covered here. At Smile Artistry™ we will make every effort to ensure your comfort during root canal treatment. And we're happy to answer any questions you may have. Our goal at Smile Artistry™ is to help you preserve your natural teeth for a lifetime, so you can smile with confidence.

At Smile Artistry™ we choose to use the latest in Root Canal Therapy supplied by SybronEndo