Emergency Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment is used to repair and save a tooth that is infected or badly decayed. A root canal procedure is performed when the nerve of the tooth got infected or the pulp is damaged. During a root canal treatment, the nerve and pulp are removed, and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed.

There are two meain reasons for a root canal treatment. The first is the infection that destroys the dentin and enamel of the tooth until it reaches the pulp. Bacteria then infect the pulp. Antibiotics usually can't reach all the bacteria inside a canal. They are given to reduce the number of bacteria that spread outside the canal and into the bone. The second reason for a root canal treatment is damage to the pulp that can't be fixed. A fracture in a tooth can damage the pulp itself. So can a less severe blow (trauma) to the tooth, even if there's no visible damage right away. In time, the tooth may darken because of bleeding within the pulp.

Symtpoms

If you have an infection of the pulp, you may not feel any pain. But if the infection is not treated, it will cause pain and swelling.
You may need a root canal treatment if:

• the tooth hurts when you bite down on it or push on it
• the tooth is sensitive to heat or to cold for more than a couple of seconds
• there is swelling near the tooth
• the tooth is discolored (whether it hurts or not)
• the tooth is broken

The initial consultation about a root canal treatment

It is important to visit our emergency dentist when symptoms of a root canal problem first emerge. When one experiences tooth pain or has a deep cavity, our dentist may determine that a root canal procedure is necessary. We will first take x-rays to find out how close the damage is to the nerve inside the pulp chamber of the tooth. Often, if a cavity is found to be near the pulp, the pulp will have already become infected. In this case a root canal therapy will eliminate the pain and remove any infected tissue. If tooth infection is allowed to continue untreated, there is a danger that the patient may lose the tooth completely, necessitating a dental implant or a dental bridge.

The root canal treatment

Root canal procedure starts by cleaning out damaged areas of the tooth. Usually we use local anesthetic, therefor the root canal procedure is no more painful than getting a filling. Once the our dentist has opened the pulp chamber, further anesthetic may be injected precisely into the nerve of the tooth. This completely reduces any further pain.
Our dentist at Emergency Dentist London removes the tissue within the pulp chamber and clears any remaining nerve tissue from the root canals. Once the dental pulp tissue has been cleared, our dentist widens the root canal a bit and straightens the pulp chamber to prepare it for filling. The inside of the tooth is then disinfected.

After the preparation, our dentist fills the root canals with a rubber-like material. The pulp chamber is stuffed with cotton, and a temporary filling is used to seal the opening. During a succeeding visit, our dentist removes the temporary filling, fills the pulp chamber with a core buildup, and then repairs the tooth with a filling or crown. During this visit, our dentist will also check for root canal procedure complications such as infection.

Mayo Clinic has an excellent slide show about root canal treatment. If you need more information I would definitely check them out.
Root canal treatment fees start from £347 depending on the number of roots and the difficulty of the treatment. In any case you will get a final price after your first visit at our dental clinic.