Endodontic Treatment

A root canal treatment consists in cleaning and disinfecting the root canals of a nerve affected by an abscessed, fractured or decayed tooth. It is important to remove the nerve in order to avoid spreading the infection and a tooth abscess from developing. The root canal treatment saves the tooth. The only other alternative would be to pull out the infected tooth and replace it with a bridge or a dental implant.

The root canal treatment normally takes two appointments to complete, one week apart. The first appointment consists in cleaning the roots and the second in sealing the openings. In certain cases, a pivot will be inserted in the canals during the second appointment. Performed under local anaesthesia using modern procedures (such as rotary instrumentation), the root canal treatment is not painful.

It is important to know that a tooth having suffered a root canal treatment is devitalized therefore fragile to dental fractures and, in most cases, will require a crown.