In Much Ado About Nothing there is a quote that says, “There was never yet philosopher that could endure the toothache patiently.” On a basic level this means that, although philosophers spend a lot of their time engaged in intellectual thought, if they get toothache they’ll still whinge as much as the next person. That’s understandable really – toothache is a real pain for thousands of people, philosophers or otherwise. On William Shakespeare Day, now been and gone, patients needn’t have endured toothache patiently – patients from Chiswick and further afield can visit the dentist for a solution.
Root canal treatment is a procedure that can relieve tooth pain and potentially save your teeth. Each of your teeth has one or more “canals” that run from the root to the tip. These are filled with pulp consisting of nerves and blood vessels. If the tooth enamel decays for any reason, it can leave the sensitive canals exposed and they can become infected. This is a cause of toothache and needs to be assessed by your dentist. The alternative could be losing a tooth.
If you require root canal treatment the procedure begins with your dentist drilling into the tooth to access the infected pulp. Patients will not feel any pain as local anaesthetic will be used. The infected pulp is carefully removed and the dentist will then put an antiseptic solution into the canal to ensure all bacteria is removed. The tooth will then be filled with dental putty to stop bacteria from returning, and a crown will eventually be put on the tooth to seal it.
The whole procedure is relatively simple and completely painless. Some moderate discomfort can be expected when the anaesthetic wears off, but this can be combated with painkillers. The success rate of this procedure is high, but if you have any doubts please speak to our and we will be happy to assist.
