Root canal treatment in Malad West

What is root canal treatment?

Inside every tooth, under the hard outer layers, is the pulp: soft tissue with the nerve and blood vessels, running down narrow channels in the roots called root canals. Deep decay, a crack or an old injury can let bacteria reach the pulp, which then becomes inflamed or infected. That is usually what causes a bad toothache.

Root canal treatment removes the inflamed or infected pulp, cleans and disinfects the canals, and seals them, so the tooth can stay in your mouth instead of being taken out. The tooth is then closed with a filling and, for a back tooth, usually a crown.

Signs you might need it

• A throbbing ache, or pain that wakes you at night.
• Pain with hot or cold that lingers for minutes after, rather than a brief twinge.
• Pain when you bite on one tooth, or a tooth that has gone darker than its neighbours.
• A swelling, or a small pimple on the gum beside a tooth.
• Sometimes no pain at all. An infection at the root tip is often found on a CBCT scan.

What happens, step by step

1. Examination and CBCT scan

   To see the root, the canals inside it and the bone around the tip, and to confirm the tooth can be saved.

2. Reaching the pulp

   The tooth is numbed and isolated with a thin rubber sheet to keep it dry. A small opening is made through the biting surface to reach the pulp chamber. Where treatment needs it, the area is numbed with a local anaesthetic before we start, and you can ask us to pause at any point.

3. Cleaning the canals

   The inflamed or infected pulp is removed and the canals are cleaned, shaped and disinfected. Where there is infection, a dressing may be placed and the tooth sealed with a temporary filling. This often takes more than one appointment.

4. Filling the canals

   Once the canals are clean and the tooth is settled, they are filled and sealed.

5. Restoring the tooth

   A filling, and usually a crown for a back tooth, because a root-treated tooth is more likely to crack under chewing. The cost of the crown is a separate item, told to you in writing.

How it feels afterwards

The tooth is often tender to bite on for a few days, which usually eases. Take painkillers as advised, and avoid chewing hard things on that side until the tooth has its final filling or crown. A temporary filling can wear down; if it comes out, let us know.

The pain you had before treatment is usually from the inflamed nerve, and it should not return once the inside of the tooth is clean. If it does, or a swelling appears, come back.

What decides the cost

A fee is only worked out once the doctor has examined you. It depends on:

• Which tooth it is. Front teeth usually have one canal; molars often have three or four, which takes more time.
• Whether there is infection that needs more than one appointment.
• Whether a crown is needed afterwards, and whether a CBCT scan is taken.
• The cost is told to you in writing before anything is done.