Root canal treatment in Notting Hill

What root canal treatment is

Inside every tooth is a soft core of nerve and blood vessels, called the pulp, running down narrow channels in the root. When decay, a crack or a knock lets bacteria reach the pulp, it becomes inflamed or infected. That is what causes the deep, throbbing toothache that keeps people awake, and it can lead to an abscess at the root.

Root canal treatment removes the inflamed or infected pulp, cleans the canals inside the root, and seals them. The tooth stays in your mouth, held by its own root, and keeps working like any other tooth. The phrase sounds worse than the treatment: for most people it feels much like having a large filling.

Root canal or extraction?

When a tooth’s nerve is infected, there are two ways to fix it: save the tooth with a root canal, or take it out. Taking it out is quicker on the day, but it leaves a gap. A gap at the front is obvious, and a gap at the back lets neighbouring teeth drift and tilt. Filling it later with a dental implant, a bridge or a denture costs more than the root canal would have.

So if a tooth can be rebuilt, saving it is usually the better choice. If it is cracked below the gum or too broken down to hold a filling or crown, taking it out is the honest answer, and we will say so.

When an old root filling needs redoing

A root-treated tooth can give trouble years later, if new decay or a leaking filling lets bacteria back into the canals. Redoing the root filling, called re-treatment or re-root treatment, can sometimes save the tooth a second time. It is more complex than a first root canal, so we check the X-ray carefully and tell you how likely it is to work before you decide.

Complicated cases: referral to a root canal specialist

Dr Ardalan carries out most root canal treatment at the practice. When a tooth is especially complicated, for example with curved or blocked canals or a difficult re-treatment, we refer you to Dr Vida Adib, a registered specialist in endodontics (root canal treatment), GDC 66789.

Dr Adib holds BDS, MSc, MClinDent, MFDS RCS and MRD RCSEd qualifications. She completed her specialist training at the Eastman Dental Hospital, has taught at the Royal London Hospital and has served as a Consultant in Endodontics at King’s College Hospital. She is a member of the British Endodontic Society and the European Society of Endodontology. We explain the referral and what it involves before you decide.

In pain now?

If you have toothache now, book an emergency appointment. We find the cause, ease the pain, and explain whether the tooth needs a root canal and what it costs. If you are new to the practice, read what happens at your first visit.