What's a root canal filling?

[Ellie K]

Hi

I recently had severe toothache which caused me several days of pretty bad pain and on some nights, I could not sleep at all because of the severe pain.

I went to A&E at the local hospital and the doctors gave me some pain killers and antibiotics and told me to see my dentist to have a root canal filling.

I have booked a consultation appointment with my dentist next week but the pain has now stopped completely. I would like to know what's a root canal filling? What would happen if I did not have the root canal filling and left things as they are?

If I have a root canal filling would that mean that the tooth will need any other treatment or would that be the end of the problem with the tooth? Finally, am I likely to have any pain with the root canal?

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

Hi

Thank you for your question. If a tooth loses vitality and becomes infected, then the only way to save the tooth is to do a root canal treatment.

Root canal treatment involves removing the nerve and blood vessels from within the tooth and cleaning the area so that as many bacteria as possible are removed and filling the area with plastic root filling material to prevent new bacteria from entering the area.

To prevent a tooth from fracture, usually the tooth needs a crown after root canal treatment. Root canal treatment success rate is in the region of 70-80%. If a root canal fails, it can be repeated. Root canal treatment is usually painless when its being carried out, but there can be some pain from the tooth after the procedure for a few days.

If a tooth needs a root canal but its not treated and ignored, infection, swelling and pain could arise in future. Its not advisable to leave a non-vital tooth without a root canal filling.