Download Root fillings - Northway Dental Practice

11 - LEARN MORE ABOUT
This information is supplied to help explain
complicated topics and help you to understand more
about your health. It is not designed to replace the
advice of the dentist. If you are unsure about
anything here ask your dentist or hygienist.
ROOT CANAL TREATMENT
(ROOT FILLING)
Gentle dentistry for you …
Quick summary

A root filling is a means of potentially
saving a tooth which has died off or
become infected.

Root fillings can be long and
complicated but are not usually
painful.

Root filled teeth once settled are much
stronger with a crown placed over
them.
We are keen to hear feedback on this leaflet and
any aspect of our practice… please feel free to
send your feedback in by post to the address
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or
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[email protected]. Thank you.
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Northway Dental Practice
Copyright Simon N Khoury
Northway Dental Practice 2013. No unauthorised reproduction
or broadcast permitted.
North Way, Midsomer Norton
BATH, BA3 2DY
Phone (01761) 413663
Fax (01761) 418 163
at Northway Dental Practice
ROOT FILLINGS
What is a root filling?
A root filling or root canal treatment is usually
a rubber based material that goes into the
space where the blood and nerve supply
(called the pulp) used to be, inside a tooth,
when this dies or becomes infected.
Why might I need a root filling?
If the pulp inside the tooth becomes infected
with bacteria then a dental abscess will form.
Without a root filling the tooth would have to
be removed to get the abscess to resolve. So
what a root filling really does is to (potentially)
save your tooth.
What does it involve?
The aim of the treatment is to remove any
infection (bacteria) and any remnant of the
nerves and blood vessels from the tooth.
Then a root filling is placed to prevent any
more bacteria getting into the tooth.
It may take one or two visits. Root filling is
time consuming and takes great skill and
judgment.
Once the tooth is treated, a permanent filling
is put into the tooth. Crowning a tooth (see
below) can be performed later on.
Does it always work?
Most of the time it woks well. An audit we
have done here at Northway Dental showed a
5 year success rate of 83%. It is worth saying
though that if unsuccessful then the tooth
might need to come out.
Here are some images which explain the
process.
Because of the complexity of root filling
treatments and the fact that all teeth are
different in shape and anatomy we cannot
offer a guarantee that it will work. The fees
charged are to cover the time it takes to do the
treatment.
Is it painful?
People will tell you tales of painful root fillings
often done a long time ago when local
anaesthetics and techniques were not as good
as they are now.
We always use plenty of strong local
anaesthetic and it is very rare for root filling to
be painful.
How strong will the tooth be afterward?
Root filled teeth will not be as strong once the
treatment is completed because they dry-out
so are less supple, and because sometimes a lot
of tooth has to be removed to put the root
filling in.
We recommend that a crown (see leaflet no.
10) be placed over a root filled tooth once we
are sure it has settled down and the root filling
is successful.
Each tooth and each patient is unique so the
exact circumstances will need to be discussed
with your dentist.