Blog Coburg Dental Group

Root canal treatment, which is also known as Endodontics, is a common dental procedure designed to save a tooth instead of extraction by treating an infection or irreversible inflammation of the nerve or pulp of a tooth. This may be caused by deep decay, a fracture of the tooth, or related to severe gum disease. If you need a root canal treatment Melbourne, Coburg Dental Group’s Dr. Matthew Siebel, and Dr. Christina Jovanovic are available at short notice to perform the most root canal treatments with the utmost care and expertise.

The Structure of the Tooth

A tooth is made up of three layers:

• The enamel, which is the hard outer coating of a tooth,
• The dentine, a softer, bone-like material that is underneath and supports the enamel, and
• The pulp, which is the inside of the canal structure and is made of soft tissue (containing nerves and blood vessels) at the center of the tooth.

What is a Root Canal?

The tooth’s pulp has a path that runs down through the inside of the tooth root and into the gum and jawbone. This path is known as a root canal. It looks like a tunnel that runs in the middle of the tooth. In certain cases, a single tooth can have more than one root canal. The term root canal can be a little misleading because it implies that the root canal of the tooth is empty. However, the root canal houses soft tissue that contains nerves and blood vessels.

If the pulp becomes infected by bacteria from your saliva, it will begin to “die”. This could result in root canal pain and the loss of the tooth. There is also a risk that the infection could spread down into the root canal, which may lead to the growth of a painful dental abscess (a pus-filled swelling). The infection could then spread to your gums or the tissue and bones that support your teeth.

Root Canal Treatment in Melbourne

What is a root canal treatment? The purpose of this treatment is to save the tooth and prevent the spread of infection. A root canal treatment involves removing the inflamed or infected pulp from the tooth, before cleaning the root canal of all bacteria. After the bacteria have been removed, the root canal and pulp are filled using a special filling before being sealed to prevent further bacteria entering. If you need a root canal Melbourne, Coburg Dental Group is a great choice. We’ll be able to answer all queries you may have including ‘Is a root canal painful?’ and ‘How long does a root canal take?’

Is a Root Canal Painful?

Root canal treatment is commonly perceived as being a painful procedure. In fact, it is the opposite and in the hands of a properly trained dentist, root canal Melbourne is quite painless. It should be no more unpleasant than having a filling done. Coburg Dental Group’s Root Canal Treatment in Melbourne is in line with best practice techniques, modern and state-of-the-art equipment including electronic apex locators, System B, dentist’s customized surgical magnifying loupes glasses with special lighting and various rotary instrumentation systems. If you are worried about root canal pain, we will do our very best to make you relaxed and explain the full procedure to you. We can also use our computerized local anesthetic delivery system known as The Wand STA and we also can use various forms of sedation and do the treatment under sleep dentistry root canal treatment in one visit.

Root canal treatment can be one of the most challenging and time-consuming treatments for a dentist to perform. It is a very exact science. There are many potential risks and possible causes of problems when performing a root canal treatment, and accurate measurements, correct instrumentation, and moisture (bacteria) control is vital to ensuring a good result. That is why it should be done by a well-trained dentist. Some difficult cases need to be referred to a root canal treatment Melbourne specialist endodontist.

What is Root Canal Treatment?

Need a root canal in Melbourne? At Coburg Dental Group, we make sure that the risk of failure is minimized by using best practice techniques and high tech equipment to locate the ends of the roots, ensuring the filling reaches the whole length of the root canal system. You will also notice that the dentist will use with their magnifying surgical loupes, for a much clearer and enlarged vision of the very small root canal openings. Our dental assistants are also very experienced and well trained to assist the dentist to make your treatment as comfortable as possible.

We anesthetize the tooth fully to make sure that the treatment is carried out comfortably, without the much-dreaded root canal pain. We always wait for the anesthetic to work and we are always very responsive to your feedback should the need arise.

We then use a rubber dam to isolate the tooth and ensure that the work area is kept as sterile as possible and new bacteria contamination of the tooth by saliva is avoided. Maintaining a moisture-free, sterile environment when performing a root canal treatment is important as this prevents any bacteria in the mouth from entering the canals and compromising the success of the treatment. We only use our single-use, sterile root canal treatment instruments known as files once, in order to minimize the risk of fracture and eliminate the risk of cross-infection.

We use high tech electronic apex locators and digital, low radiation dose radiographs (x-rays) to establish the length of canals accurately and to reduce the number of radiographs and hence radiographic dosage.

How long does a root canal take?

If you’re wondering ‘How long does a root canal take?’ It really does vary on a case by case basis, but use of this professional equipment decreases chair time for the patient and allows the dentist to carry out the treatment smoothly and easily. You may sometimes experience some post-operative discomfort which usually settles down with mild pain killers in a day or two.

How much does a root canal treatment Melbourne cost?

The cost of a root canal treatment does vary according to which tooth requires treatment, how many canals the tooth has, and how the tooth needs to be restored which is influenced by how much tooth has rotted away or broken. Often root canal treated teeth also require a crown to be placed. The cost of treatment will be firmly quoted to you at the first consultation visit. A private health fund rebate is often available if you have ‘extras’ cover.

For further information or to book an appointment pleases all (03) 9386 1805.

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.