|
|
|
| Specialist Dental Care Endodontics |
|
|
|
Endodontics is one of the dental specialties formally recognised by the General Dental Council. It deals with issues involving teeth where the nerve tissue and blood vessels inside need to be protected or indeed treated when they become painful or infected. These nerve and blood vessels are often referred to as the dental pulp and are situated within the roots of the teeth in root canals.
|
|
|
Teeth can be become painful for lots of reasons including when they have been traumatised through physical injury or as a result of dental decay, gum disease or indeed dental procedures such as deep fillings or crown and bridgework.
When injury occurs the dental pulp can be affected and treatment is required to alleviate pain. Sometimes the tooth recovers and the symptoms can be alleviated. However, the damage may lead to irreversible changes within the dental pulp and this may cause persistent sensitivity, continuous pain or indeed a dental infection within the pulp often referred to as a dental abscess.
When this occurs the pain can be eliminated either by removal of the tooth itself or by removing the dental pulp from within the tooth - a procedure referred to as root canal treatment or endodontic therapy.
When considering whether to carry out root canal treatment it is important to consider the tooth as part of the whole of the mouth and not in isolation. Root canal treatment is only one option that can be offered the patient and there are other alternative treatments that involve removal of the tooth and replacing it with a prosthetic replacement tooth. Generally it is best to maintain a tooth or replace it as a missing tooth can lead to functional or cosmetic problems.
If root canal treatment is to be successful it needs to be carried out to the highest quality and also the tooth needs to be restored in such a way that is protected from possible fracture either with a suitable filling material or indeed by a crown. It is best therefore to consider the need for this treatment before the root canal treatment is commenced.
Murray Saunders is happy to receive referrals regarding endodontic related problems including:
- First time endodontic treatments or retreatments
- Diagnostic problems
- Difficult canal negotiation
- Access problems
- Canal location
- Anaesthesia problems
- Endodontic surgery
|
|
