Information about your treatment
Information about your treatment
The goal of root canal (endodontic) treatment is to remove the cause of disease and support the immune system to facilitate tissue repair. This treatment can take many forms, depending on how badly the dental pulp has been damaged.
- Pulpotomy
- A pulpotomy involves the removal of a superficially inflamed portion of the dental pulp until healthy pulp tissue is reached. The sound pulp tissue is usually capable of repair once the irritation has been removed and the exposure has been sealed. This is typically the treatment of choice following a traumatic fracture of the tooth, but it may also be performed in particular cases where decay has extended toward the pulp chamber but has not yet caused the entire pulp to be irreversibly damaged. Your Endodontist will advise you if this is an option for your tooth at your consultation appointment.
- Root canal (endodontic) treatment
- Root canal treatment involves the removal of inflamed and/or infected pulp tissue from deep within the root canal system and cleaning of the root canal space, followed by filling of the space with a biocompatible root-filling material. This procedure is often complex and is usually completed over 1-3 visits; however, this is heavily dependent on the specific tooth and patient-related factors. Your Endodontist will let you know how many visits to expect at your consultation appointment.
Root canal treatment is always performed under local anaesthetic and with isolation of the tooth using a dental dam for your comfort and safety.
Root canal treatment has a very high healing rate, provided the tooth continues to be well-maintained and protected. Most patients will leave our practice with a temporary restoration covering the tooth after treatment is complete; however, this is not intended to be a long-term solution. It is crucial that you return to your General Dentist following the completion of root canal treatment for a stronger, more protective and definitive restoration, such as an overlay, onlay or crown.
- Root canal re-treatment
- As with any medical or dental procedure, there are rare situations where the tooth and surrounding structures do not heal as expected; this is usually due to a persistent or new infection of the root canal space. Like root canal treatment, retreatment also aims to remove the cause of disease to facilitate healing. Retreatment involves the removal of any existing root-filling material and/or obstructions, followed by disinfection and re-filling of the root canal space. Removal of a previous restoration or crown may also be required to access and clean the root canal system adequately. The need for this is determined on an individual basis, and your Endodontist will discuss this with you at your consultation appointment. If this is required, you will need to return to your General Dentist after the completion of the retreatment for a new restoration and/or crown; the cost of this is something your General Dentist will discuss with you.
Though root canal retreatment also has high healing rates, persistent or secondary root canal infections tend to be more complex to manage. The overall prognosis of the retreatment may be adversely affected by complicated root-end anatomy and/or any complications that may have occurred with the initial root canal treatment.
- Apical microsurgery
- As the name suggests, apical or endodontic microsurgery is a very small operation performed on the root end of the tooth. This procedure is usually warranted in situations where inflammation and/or infection persists despite root canal treatment and/or root canal retreatment.
Apical microsurgery involves the surgical removal of a small portion of the root, curettage (cleaning out) of the space around the root tip, and cleaning and filling of the root canal space from the root end using a biocompatible root-end filling material. This procedure is always performed under local anaesthetic in a single appointment in the dental chair.
- After Care
- Occasionally, short-term post-operative discomfort may be experienced by some patients following root canal treatment; fortunately, common over-the-counter analgesics such as Paracetamol (2 x 500mg tablets) and Ibuprofen (2 x 200mg tablets) are quite effective in alleviating this discomfort. Specific post-operative care instructions are provided to all patients following both root canal and apical microsurgical treatments at Townsville Endodontics.
- Experiencing some very mild tenderness/differing sensation in the treated tooth is completely normal following endodontic treatment, especially during chewing/biting, as the tissues supporting the tooth are beginning to heal – like any healing bruise or injury. Care should be taken to avoid eating hard/chewy foods on the treated tooth in the days following the procedure.
- Avoiding hot foods and drinks until the local anaesthetic has completely worn off is also strongly recommended to prevent accidentally burning your lips, cheek or tongue without realising it.
- It is very rare that antibiotics are required following the endodontic treatment. However, in the unlikely event you should experience severe pain, swelling or fever, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Our Location
We are located at
11 Bundock Street,
North Ward
Telephone
(07) 4772 0436
Email
[email protected]
Car Parking
Ample car parking is available onsite as well as on the adjoining Ryan Street.
Public Transport
The Bundock St at Howitt St bus stop is located directly outside Townsville Endodontics.
You can also find us at @townsville_endodontics
Our
Services
Endodontic (root canal) treatment
Endodontic retreatment
Apical Microsurgery
Trauma management
Vital Pulp Therapy
Pain diagnosis
About Us
We take the utmost pride in ensuring a quality, comfortable and accessible endodontic experience for all patients, and I am looking forward to helping you and your patients with any advice or endodontic treatment.”
To make an appointment with Dr Olivia Rae, please call Townsville Endodontics (07) 4772 0436 or email [email protected]
You can also find us at @townsville_endodontics
