Root canal treatment – preserving a severely damaged tooth
Root canal treatment (endodontics) has one goal: to preserve a severely damaged tooth rather than extract it. It becomes necessary when the nerve inside the tooth has become inflamed – for example due to deep decay, a crack or an accident. Typical signs include persistent or throbbing toothache, strong sensitivity to heat and cold, or swelling.
With modern treatment methods, such a tooth can often be preserved for many years today.
What happens during root canal treatment
During treatment, we remove the blood vessels and nerve from the root canal and then clean it thoroughly. Any remaining bacteria are flushed out with a disinfecting solution. If needed, we place medication in the canal to allow the inflammation to heal. Particularly narrow or curved canals are difficult to reach – here we work with fine, electrically driven special files and magnification with dental loupes. This allows us to clean hard-to-access areas reliably and miss nothing.
Once the tooth is symptom-free, we seal the root canal bacteria-tight and restore the tooth securely – depending on the findings, for example with a filling or a crown that protects the weakened tooth.
Does root canal treatment hurt?
Many patients still associate root canal treatment with severe pain. In fact, the procedure is performed under local anaesthesia and today is usually no more uncomfortable than a larger filling. Often it is precisely the symptoms before treatment that subside once the inflamed nerve has been treated.
If you have toothache in Rudow or the surrounding area, you should not wait long: the earlier we treat an inflamed tooth, the better the chances of preserving it.
