Dental Pulp Infection

Treatment is determined by the diagnosis.

If the stage of dental pulp inflammation is assessed to be reversible, it can be resolved by eliminating the causative factors e.g. removing the decay and restoring or filling the tooth, sometimes with a medicament base, to return the dental pulp to its normal healthy state.

However, if the dental pulp is irreversibly damaged or infected, root canal treatment has to be carried out.

Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment (RCT) treats diseases and injuries to the dental pulp so as to conserve the tooth that will otherwise have to be extracted. The procedure is relatively comfortable and often painless as the tooth is anaesthetised during treatment.

• Removal of the infected or inflamed dental pulp is the first step of RCT. Under local anaesthetic, an opening is made in the crown of the tooth to get access to the infected or inflamed dental pulp within.
• All RCT procedures are done by isolating the tooth with a rubber dam to provide a clean and salivafree environment.

• Using small, specially-designed hand or rotary files, the root canals are cleaned and shaped to a form that can be sealed. Debris within the canals is removed by flushing with an anti-bacterial solution.

• The canals are finally filled or sealed with an inert material called guttapercha.

The tooth should be restored to full shape and function by either a permanent filling or a crown, depending on how much of the tooth is left. This should be done as soon as possible as there could be a risk of tooth fracture due to biting forces.

RCT may be done in single or multiple visits depending on the tooth complexity.

In between treatment appointments, medicaments may be placed within the canals and the tooth is covered with a temporary filling. Often, X-rays are taken to determine the length of the root and to monitor the various treatment stages.

A root canal treated tooth can function normally and can be maintained with routine dental care and oral hygiene measures.