Root Canal Treatment in Ocean Grove
When the nerve inside a tooth becomes infected or inflamed, root canal treatment is the procedure that treats the infection and keeps the tooth in place. This page explains what is involved and what the risks are.
Ocean Breeze Dental has treated patients across Ocean Grove and the Bellarine Peninsula for over 30 years. To arrange an assessment, call (03) 5255 2584.
Assessment and a written treatment plan before any treatment begins
What root canal treatment is
Inside every tooth, beneath the enamel and dentine, is a soft centre called the pulp. It contains the nerve and blood vessels that supplied the tooth while it developed. When decay reaches the pulp, or when a tooth is cracked or knocked hard enough, bacteria can enter and the pulp becomes inflamed or infected.
Once that happens, the pulp does not recover. Infection can travel down the canals inside the root and into the bone at the root tip.
Root canal treatment removes the pulp, cleans and disinfects the canals inside the root, and seals them. The outer part of the tooth, the part you chew with, remains in place. The alternative to root canal treatment is removing the tooth.
Symptoms that lead to an assessment
Not every toothache indicates a need for root canal treatment. Only an examination and x-ray can determine that. These are symptoms that commonly bring people in for assessment:
- Sensitivity to hot or cold that continues for 30 seconds or more after the source is removed, rather than settling immediately
- Pain that disturbs sleep, or a deep ache that is difficult to localise
- Pain on biting or when the tooth is tapped
- Swelling of the gum near the tooth, or of the face
- A raised spot on the gum that may discharge and recur
- A tooth that has darkened compared with the teeth beside it
Pain can stop altogether once the pulp dies. This does not mean the problem has resolved. Infection can continue in the bone without a live nerve to produce pain, so a tooth that hurt and then went quiet still warrants assessment.
What the procedure involves
1. Assessment and diagnosis
We examine the tooth and take an x-ray. The x-ray shows the number and shape of the canals and whether infection has reached the bone at the root tip. We may also test the tooth with cold or a pulp tester to establish whether the nerve is still vital.
Not every tooth can be saved. A tooth that has split below the gum level, or that has insufficient structure remaining to be rebuilt, may be better removed. We will tell you if that applies to your tooth and discuss the alternatives with you.
2. Anaesthetic and isolation
Local anaesthetic is administered before treatment begins. Infected teeth can be more difficult to anaesthetise than healthy ones. Tell us at any point during the appointment if you feel discomfort, as further anaesthetic can be given.
The tooth is isolated with a rubber dam, a thin sheet that keeps saliva and bacteria out of the canals being cleaned and prevents materials and instruments reaching the back of the throat.
3. Cleaning and shaping the canals
An access opening is made through the top of the tooth. The pulp is removed and each canal is cleaned along its full length with fine instruments and disinfecting solutions. Canals are narrow, often curved, and sometimes branched, which is why this stage takes the majority of the appointment time.
4. Dressing and sealing
Root canal treatment is usually completed across two appointments. At the end of the first, an antibacterial dressing is placed inside the tooth and sealed with a temporary filling, generally for one to two weeks. At the second appointment the canals are filled permanently with a rubber-based material called gutta-percha and the access opening is sealed.
Some single-canal teeth can be completed in one longer appointment. We will tell you which applies to your tooth before treatment starts.
5. Restoring the tooth
A back tooth that has had root canal treatment has lost structure to the decay and the access opening and no longer has a blood supply. Chewing forces on molars are substantial, and an unrestored root filled molar carries a risk of fracture.
For that reason a crown is commonly recommended on root filled back teeth. Front teeth often do not require one. Whether your tooth needs a crown is a clinical decision we will discuss with you, and it is included in your written treatment plan and quote.
Risks and limitations you should know about
Root canal treatment is a routine procedure, but like any dental treatment it carries risks. These are the ones to be aware of, and we will discuss them with you in relation to your own tooth before you consent to treatment:
- Treatment does not always succeed. Infection can persist or recur. Where that happens, the options are retreatment, a surgical procedure at the root tip, or removing the tooth.
- Post-operative discomfort. The tooth is commonly tender to bite on for several days afterwards while the surrounding ligament settles.
- Fracture of the tooth. A root filled tooth is more brittle than a vital one. This is the reason a crown is often recommended for back teeth.
- Instrument separation. The fine instruments used inside canals can occasionally fracture and a fragment may remain in the canal. This does not always affect the outcome, but it may.
- Perforation. Rarely, an opening can be created through the side of the root during access or cleaning, which may require additional treatment or make the tooth unrestorable.
- Blocked or unnegotiable canals. Some canals are calcified or too curved to clean along their full length, which can limit what the treatment achieves.
- Discolouration. Root filled teeth, particularly front teeth, can darken over time.
How likely any of these are depends on your particular tooth. That is a conversation for your assessment appointment, not something a website can answer.
If you are anxious about dental treatment
Tell us when you book. We can allow a longer appointment so nothing is rushed, explain each step before it happens, and agree a hand signal so you can ask us to stop at any point.
Root canal treatment or extraction
Removing the tooth costs less on the day. It also leaves a gap. Teeth adjacent to a gap can tip and the opposing tooth can over-erupt, and replacing the tooth later with a dental implant or a bridge generally costs more than the root canal treatment and crown would have.
Neither option is automatically correct. Which is appropriate depends on how much sound tooth structure remains, the condition of the surrounding bone and gum, your medical history and your own preferences. We will set out both, with costs and risks, and the decision is yours.
How we quote
Fees vary from tooth to tooth, because a front tooth generally has one canal and a molar may have three or four, and because the amount of cleaning and rebuilding needed differs in every case. For that reason we quote after an examination rather than publishing a figure that would not apply to you.
What you can expect:
- An examination first. Any figure we give you is based on your own teeth and x-rays, not an average.
- A written treatment plan. It lists every item, the item numbers and the total, and sets out what is and is not included.
- Time to check it with your health fund. The item numbers let your fund quote you an exact rebate before you commit.
- On the spot claiming through HICAPS, so you pay only the gap on the day.
- No surprises. Nothing proceeds until you have accepted the plan, and if anything changes once treatment is under way we talk to you before going ahead.
Root Canal Treatment FAQs
How long does a root filled tooth last?
There is no single answer, and we deliberately do not publish a success-rate figure, because the outcome depends on the individual tooth, how much structure remains, whether it is properly restored afterwards, and how it is maintained. Your dentist will discuss the outlook for your specific tooth at your assessment.
How many appointments will I need?
Usually two, one to two weeks apart, each around 60 to 120 minutes. If a crown is recommended afterwards, that involves two further appointments.
Can I drive afterwards?
Local anaesthetic does not affect your ability to drive. Numbness of the lip and tongue typically lasts two to three hours, so take care with hot drinks and avoid biting your cheek while it wears off. If you have sedation, you will need someone to drive you home.
Will I need antibiotics?
Usually not. Antibiotics do not resolve infection within a root canal, because there is no blood supply inside the canal to carry them there. Cleaning the canal is the treatment. Antibiotics are prescribed where there is spreading facial swelling or systemic involvement.
Can this be done during pregnancy?
Dental infection during pregnancy is generally treated rather than deferred. Tell us how far along you are and about any medications you are taking, and we will plan the appointment, including x-ray technique, accordingly.
Can a root canal be redone if it fails?
Often it can. Retreatment involves removing the existing root filling material and re-cleaning the canals. For complex cases we may refer you to an endodontist, a dentist with registered specialist qualifications in root canal treatment, in Geelong. We will tell you when a referral is the better course.
Do I need to keep coming back afterwards?
Root filled teeth are reviewed periodically, including with x-rays, to check that healing has occurred at the root tip. We will recommend a review interval based on your tooth and your own circumstances rather than a fixed schedule.
Book an assessment
If you have a tooth causing pain, call Ocean Breeze Dental on (03) 5255 2584 or book online.
We are at Unit 12, 73 The Terrace, Ocean Grove, with lift access and street parking nearby. Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00am to 5:30pm, and Tuesday and Thursday until 7:30pm. We see patients from Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, Point Lonsdale, Wallington, Drysdale and across the Bellarine Peninsula.
This page provides general information about a dental procedure. It is not personal dental advice and does not replace an examination. Whether root canal treatment is appropriate for your tooth, and what the likely outcome is, can only be determined by a dentist after assessing you. All treatment carries risks, which are set out above and will be discussed with you before you consent to treatment.