Endodontic TREATMENT

“Endo” is the Greek word for ‘inside’ and ‘odont’ is the Greek for ‘tooth’. Endodontic treatment treats the inside of the tooth. Inside the tooth, under the white enamel and a hard layer called the dentin, is a soft tissue called the pulp. The pulp contains blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue and creates the surrounding hard tissues of the tooth during development. The pulp extends from the crown of the tooth to the tip of the roots where it connects to the tissues surrounding the roots. The pulp is important during a tooth’s growth and development. Once a tooth is fully mature it can survive without the pulp, because the tooth continues to be nourished by the tissues surrounding it.

Endodontic treatment is necessary when the pulp becomes inflamed or infected. The inflammation or infection can have a variety of causes: deep decay, repeated dental procedures on the tooth or a crack or chip in the tooth. In addition, a blow to a tooth may cause pulp damage even if the tooth has no visible chips or cracks. If pulp inflammation or infection is left untreated, it can cause pain or lead to an abscess. Signs of pulp damage include pain, prolonged sensitivity to heat or cold, discolouration of the tooth, and swelling and tenderness in the nearby gums. Sometimes there are no symptoms.

Endodontic therapy is a sequence of treatment for the pulp of a tooth which results in the elimination of infection and protection of the decontaminated tooth from future microbial invasion. This set of procedures is commonly referred to as a “root canal”. Root canals and their associated pulp chamber are the physical hollows within a tooth that are naturally inhabited by nerve tissue, blood vessels and other cellular entities.

Endodontic therapy involves the removal of these structures, the subsequent cleaning, shaping, and decontamination of the hollows with tiny files and irrigating solutions, and the obturation (filling) of the decontaminated canals with an inert filling such as gutta percha and typically a eugenol-based cement.

The endodontist removes the inflamed or infected pulp before carefully cleaning and shaping the inside of the tooth, then filling and sealing the space. Afterwards, you will return to your dentist who will then place a crown or restoration on the tooth to protect and restore it to full function. After restoration, the tooth continues to function like any other tooth.

Prices:

  • Root Canal Treatment - £250 - £600

  • Root Canal Re-treatment - £350 - £700

The above prices are indicative and may vary according to individual needs.