The aim of root canal treatment is to save a tooth that is infected, or at a high risk of becoming infected.
This may be due to:
In many cases it is the only treatment option if you want to try and keep a badly damaged tooth.
The inside of the tooth is carefully cleaned to remove any infection or bacteria, and is then sealed to ensure it does not become reinfected. This process can take between one and three appointments depending on the type of the tooth.
The tooth will then be restored to appropriate function with a white or metal filling. However as the tooth is root canal treated and is usually compromised from any of the above diseases, it becomes quite weak and prone to breaking. To minimise the risk of this happening in future, it will require protection from a crown following the completion of treatment. Click here to find out more about crowns.
