Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment (RCT) is a dental procedure used to treat infection at the Centre of a tooth (the root canal system) and save a tooth that is badly decayed or becomes infected.

At Frederick Street Dental Care, we provide same day root canal treatment. This service is available both to patients registered with the practice and to new patients.

You can book an appointment on calling us  0131 629 1158 or Book Online and if necessary, have root canal treatment carried out on the same day.

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At Frederick Street Dental Care

When is root canal treatment needed?

Root Canal Treatment is needed when the pulp chamber and the canals within the roots of a tooth are irreversibly inflamed due to infection, causing severe pain. The inflammation can be caused by many factors such as infection, otherwise known as tooth decay, fractured and broken tooth, fracture lines due to grinding and trauma of a kind. Tooth decay is one of the most common causes of infected pulp resulting in pain and a need for root canal treatment to save the tooth.

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Can a tooth still hurt after root canal treatment?

As the local anaesthetic wears off after the root canal treatment, you might experience mild pain and sensitivity. Pain and discomfort after root canal are not uncommon. This is related to cleaning process. This process can lead to bruising around the tooth and causes inflammation and discomfort. Normally, the discomfort subsides within few days and responds well to anti-inflammatory painkiller.  If you develop a swelling immediately after root canal treatment has been done, you need to let your dentist know or to see an emergency dentist. If the pain is arising a few months after the procedure has been completed, this may be an indication of re-infection, in this case it is important to have the tooth assessed.

Is root canal treatment painful?

No, it does not need to be a painful procedure. Before any root canal treatment is carried out patient must be well anaesthetised, so they do not feel any discomfort during the procedure. Sometimes, when there is a severe acute pain with a tooth, it may take time to fully anaesthetize the patient and higher doses of local anaesthetic may be needed. Without a doubt, we can get patients fully anaesthetized prior to the carrying out a root canal treatment

What is the success rate of root canal treatment?

Studies have shown that following the proper procedures as laid down by the experts (British Endodontic Society or American Endodontic Society) there is on average 70-75% chance of success with root canal treatments over 4-5 years. Following the correct procedures for the root canal treatment, the type of materials used, the type of equipment used and the skill of the treatment provider contribute enormously to the success rate.

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What are the alternatives treatment options to root canal treatment?

The alternative option to root canal treatment is an extraction of the tooth. Although on many occasions this may seem a more attractive and quicker option to get rid of pain or infection, it should be considered that extraction is an irreversible process. Extraction is usually recommended by the dentist when it is not possible to restore the tooth with core and crown after the root canal treatment is completed. If a tooth is beyond repair and is suggested to have extraction, the patient can either accept the gap remaining after extraction or replace the missing tooth with denture, bridge, or implant.