When you need a root canal
The pulp is the soft tissue at the centre of a tooth. When decay, a crack or an old deep filling lets bacteria reach it, the pulp becomes infected — and that infection is what produces the deep, throbbing ache that keeps you awake.
A root canal removes that infected tissue, disinfects the canals and seals them. The tooth stays in your mouth and keeps doing its job.
- Lingering pain: Sensitivity to hot or cold that continues long after the drink is finished.
- Pain on biting: A sharp jolt when you chew on one particular tooth.
- Swelling or a gum boil: A tender bump on the gum near the tooth, sometimes with a bad taste.
- A darkening tooth: A single tooth turning grey compared with its neighbours.
How we do it at DPS
- Diagnosis: A digital X-ray and pulp testing confirm which tooth is the culprit before anything is touched.
- Complete numbing: We do not start until the tooth is fully anaesthetised. Most patients describe the appointment as no worse than a filling.
- Rotary cleaning: Nickel-titanium rotary files clean and shape the canals far more precisely, and far more quickly, than hand files.
- Sealing: The canals are filled with a biocompatible material so bacteria cannot re-enter.
- Protecting the tooth: A treated tooth becomes brittle. We fit a crown so it can take normal chewing force for years.
After your treatment
Mild tenderness for two or three days is normal and settles with the medication we prescribe. Chew on the other side until the crown is fitted.
A root-canal-treated tooth that is properly crowned and kept clean commonly lasts a lifetime.
