Endodontic Treatment To Save Infected Teeth In Bedford

Endodontics, better known as root canal treatment, may not be popular, but it is an effective way to save a tooth.

If we told a patient that they required endodontic treatment, they would probably ask what it entailed. Having to say the words ‘root canal’ though, often elicits a negative response due to the reputation it has gained over the years for being an extremely painful treatment. We will look at why this might be the case in a while, but for now, we can reassure our Bedford patients that if you do require this treatment, it is effective and can save a tooth that would otherwise need to be extracted. It also should cause no more discomfort than many other dental procedures would.

As always, we are happy to discuss any treatment with you if you feel that this would help to put you at ease. Hopefully though, this blog will help to explain most people’s concerns about this particular treatment.

What is a root canal procedure?

This is a well established treatment that can be used to help preserve a tooth which would otherwise need to be removed. It is used when the soft pulp material in the root canals of the tooth become infected. This is usually due to the tooth becoming damaged and allowing bacteria to enter this part of the tooth.

This is an area where not only tiny blood vessels are located but also the nerves of the tooth too. Any infection in this area then, can be very painful indeed and few will choose to tolerate this level of pain and are likely to contact the dentist as soon as they can.

Are there alternative treatments?

Unfortunately, no. The only other option in this situation is to extract the tooth. This should always be a last resort though and, hopefully, you will see that in most cases, there is no need to take this measure.

Should I be worried about the pain?

Although this particular treatment has gained a bad reputation for pain, let us assure you that this is largely a legend that has built up for many years. No-one seems to know for certain where it originated but the feeling among dental professionals is that it probably originated before x-rays became available. This would have meant that this procedure would have been carried out ‘blind’ and possibly with less effective anaesthetics too. Given that the area contains nerves, it isn’t hard to see how this might be painful.

This isn’t the only issue though. X-rays will detect any abscesses that have formed within a tooth and this is not uncommon with root canal infections. If one of these were to be drilled into, we are sure you can imagine how painful that would be. Unfortunately, x-rays have not always been available!

So here is the good news. Modern local anaesthetics are very powerful and minimal discomfort should be felt during a procedure. We also have x-rays and digital imaging technology available that helps us to detect the presence of any abscesses within the tooth. If any are detected, we will postpone the procedure until they have been treated.

The procedure

So what actually happens when you have a root canal procedure at The Dental Centre Bedford? Well, after explaining what will happen, we take x-rays as mentioned just now. Providing that the all clear is given as far as abscesses are concerned, you will be given a local anaesthetic in the area which will numb the tooth ready for treatment.

The first part of the treatment is to allow our Bedford dentists access to the root canals. This is done by removing a section from the top of the tooth. The infected soft pulp material is then removed using special dental implements designed for this purpose. The canals may then be widened a little to allow for effective filling and will be thoroughly cleaned to minimise any risk of re-infection.

Once the canals are prepared, they will be filled with a special filling material known as ‘gutta percha’. This is used as it can be heated to ensure a very secure filling that helps to prevent any bacteria from entering. Your tooth is now restored but in most cases, will be relatively weakened. In order to provide additional strength and functionality, a dental crown will be added in most instances.

As you can see then, the procedure is really nothing to be feared and although you may feel some sensation such as when the top is removed, you should feel no pain. Having had this done, you now have a tooth that can be used for most purposes instead of a gap in your teeth which would have been the case if it had been extracted.

If you would like more information about this procedure, we are happy to discuss this with you, and in fact, if you have a concern about any treatment we might need to carry out, please do talk to us if you are feeling anxious about it.

For any dental related information or to book an appointment with the dentist or hygienist at The Dental Centre Bedford, please call us today on 01234 819868.