Root canal treatment has the potential to save a highly infected tooth from needing to be removed. Painful and unpleasant symptoms such as darkening of your tooth, sensitivity and pain can also be resolved, once root canal treatment has been carried out.
What is an endodontist?
It can be hard to find a reputable endodontist in Bristol. Endodontists are trained in diagnosing tooth pain and carrying out procedures relating to the living tissues inside a tooth, commonly known as pulp.
Root canal treatment comes under the umbrella of procedures performed as part of endodontics (the field of dentistry concerned with treating infected teeth).
Here at The Bristol Dental Practice, we are experienced in carrying out root canal treatment. Our practice here in Bristol uses the best materials, equipment and magnification, allowing us to work with precision when responding to an infected tooth.
Our Root Canal Dentist, Umut is highly skilled, possessing both a PhD and MSc in Endodontics. He has a special interest in the treatment of complex cases and will ensure that you will be comfortable throughout your root canal treatment procedure with us.
What can I expect when I have root canal treatment?
During your appointment, we will thoroughly clean the root canal chambers and fill them to stop them from becoming re-infected.
Typically, 2 visits are needed to complete the root canal treatment process. An anaesthetic is used to numb your teeth as we work to remove the infected tissues inside.
Having your tooth rescued with root canal treatment is always favourable to removing the infected tooth, which is something we will only do once all options have been explored in an effort to salvage it. Having a root canal to save a tooth can:
– Prevent bone shrinkage at the site where the tooth would be lost.
– Help you to eat properly again.
– Protect the quality of your speech.
– Preserve your self-confidence.
– Improve your oral health.
If we do need to remove an infected tooth, we offer a range of options for replacing it, including dental implants.
What will my tooth look like after root canal treatment?
A tooth can appear dark or yellow after becoming infected, so when we reverse the infection, we will also consider how we will restore its natural appearance. Unfortunately, an infected tooth won’t respond to teeth whitening, so we will need to create a bespoke crown to improve its function and make it look healthy again.
We pride ourselves on creating long-lasting and natural-looking crowns. In fact, it’s not uncommon for our patients to say that their crowned tooth looks and feels better than it did before the tooth became infected.
Read more about our bespoke crowns here.
What happens if I don’t have an infected tooth treated?
Failing to have an infected tooth treated can ultimately lead to the tooth failing and needing to be removed. The course leading up to this point can be extremely unpleasant for patients, causing a number of painful and hindering symptoms.
A dental infection can also spread to the jawbone and even the brain, causing devastating health problems throughout the body. The good news is that once you have come in to see us, we can move expeditiously to treat the tooth, which can typically recover within 24 – 48 hours.
Is sedation offered as part of root canal treatment?
Your endodontist here in Bristol will be able to provide intravenous sedation should you feel you need a helping hand to relax during your treatment.
Intravenous (IV) sedation is an extremely potent technique that can be advantageous for the following reasons:
Time will fly
Sedation aids to help you lose track of time whilst you’re in the dentist’s chair. This is particularly beneficial if you’re having a lengthy procedure.
You will still be conscious but relaxed
As you won’t be put to sleep during your root canal treatment, you won’t have to suffer any unpleasant effects that can often accompany this. Any feelings of dizziness or grogginess will not affect you afterwards, as the effects of sedation wear off. Another benefit of conscious sedation is that we can communicate with you to check you are fully comfortable throughout. An experienced dentist will closely monitor you throughout your root canal treatment.
You may not remember your procedure
IV sedation can act as an amnesic drug, causing patients not fully to recollect their procedure. This has helped many of our patients have treatment in the future, as they know they will not be fully aware of the sights and sounds that accompany having treatment such as root canal treatment.
We have 2 highly experienced sedation dentists working at the practice. Dr Jonathan Cochrane has completed a year of training at the renowned Eastman Dental Hospital, part of UCL. Dr Rob Endicott works solely as a sedation dentist, having previously worked as a general dentist for many years. He has performed sedation thousands of times during his career and continues to be a valuable member of the Bristol Dental Practice team.
We are a referral dental practice
We are very happy to take referrals for sedation, as not many practices in our area offer this service. If you require root canal treatment but don’t wish to have this performed without sedation, contact us to enquire.
Root canal treatment with our endodontist in Bristol
If you notice any of the possible symptoms of an infected tooth, you should call us right away to arrange an appointment. In the early stages where a tooth has suffered an infection, it’s likely to be entirely possible to nurse the tooth back to health with root canal treatment. However, further down the line, an extraction could become the only possible course of action.