220 High Street, Bromley,
Kent. BR11PW

Private Working Hours : 
Monday              09:00AM to 05:30PM
Tuesday             09:00AM to 07:00PM
Wednesday       09:00AM to 05:30PM
Thursday           09:00AM to 07:00PM
(Hygienist appointment from 08:00AM)
Friday                 09:00AM to 05:00PM

NHS Working Hours :
Mon - Fri            09:00AM to 05:30PM

Saturday:Call for availability

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What is root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment is a part of Endodontic therapy. It treats diseases affecting the pulp of the teeth.

There is a canal-like space between the inner core of a tooth and its roots. This space is filled with pulp, a soft material containing nerves, connecting tissues and blood vessels and is generally referred to as root canal. It's through the pulp that the tooth get nourishment from the body.

Even if we remove the pulp from a full-grown tooth, it doesn't affect the health of the tooth. Because the gum can provide necessary nourishment from the outside.

A tooth with a cavity and diseased pulp can cause severe pain. It's possible to remove the infected pulp from the root canal and fill it with a standard filling materiall called gutta-percha, a kind of latex extracted from the sap of the percha (Palaquium gutta) tree. This treatment is known as root canal treatment.

When do you require root canal treatment? 

You require root canal treatment when:
1) You have pulp infection: If you don't take proper care of a tooth that has started to disintegrate, it will develop into a cavity. The cavity is caused by bacteria infection, which if left unattended, can gradually affect the pulp of the tooth. The infection of the pulp can't be cured using antibiotics. Antibiotics can't go inside the affected tooth, as the blood supply to the tooth is reduced due to the inflammation caused by the infection. The lack of fresh blood also means the pulp won't heal easily.

2) Your pulp is damaged due to injury or broken tooth: An injury or broken tooth can cause permanent damage to the pulp. On such occasions, you require root canal treatment to remove the damaged pulp.
 
3) Other dental treatments hurt the pulp: During dental restorative treatments like fitting a crown, filling cavities etc, the pulp may get hurt. In such cases, root canal treatment is advised.

If the infection is only on the outer surface of the tooth, the pulp may not get infected. Still, it can get inflamed. But this condition can be cured using medications. Before deciding on the root canal treatment, the dentist might try medications. If the condition doesn't improve, the dentist might want to do a root canal, because if the pulp remains inflamed, it might lead to infection and cause severe pain.

Even the bone around the tooth will get infected if the affected pulp is left unattended.

In such situations, root canal treatment can save your original tooth. The damaged pulp will be removed from the root canal and the space will be filled with "gutta percha". The treatment is so effective that it will most probably last until you breath your last.

If you prefer not to have a root canal, you might well end up extracting the tooth in a few days or weeks. The missing tooth can cause a lot of problems including neighboring teeth drifting out of line and getting overstressed while chewing. You will have to get an implant or bridge to close the gap. There is also the risk of the infection spreading to other parts of the body if you do not do a root canal.

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