Root Canals

Affordable Root Canal Treatment In Ajax

Sudden pain in the tooth or an increase in sensitivity might be a sign of decay in your tooth pulp. But you don't have to go for painful and expensive dental implants or tooth bridges as yet. A simple and affordable root canal treatment in Ajax can help you get back your bite and relieve you of all the pain. Our dentists at Durham Dental Centres are skilled at analyzing the need for root canal treatment, cleaning the decay and restoring your teeth with aplomb.

How Root Canal Therapy Helps

Root canal therapy fits under the special dentistry area known as endodontics. Endodontics literally means dentistry within the tooth itself. The procedure treats disorders of the pulp (the soft tissue inside the crown and roots made up of blood vessels, nerves and lymph vessels that help keep your tooth nourished). Endodontic treatment restores your tooth to a comfortable state by removing the damaged tissue and replacing it with a substance that will help preserve the function of the tooth. If you need root canal treatment in Ajax, contact us.

Endodontics is the field of dentistry that concerns itself with that portion of the tooth which is commonly called the pulp. Our dentist will recommend root canal therapy if you are suffering from toothache due to infection or injury to the tooth's pulp.

Many of our patients of root canal in Ajax are hesitant about root canal therapy, but our team of dentists can help them in the most caring and compassionate manner.

When is it Important to Get a Treatment for the Root Canal in Ajax?

There are many reasons that a root canal may be needed but the most common cause is the carious process (the uncontrolled process of tooth decay). When tooth decay begins, it penetrates the outer layer of enamel and creates a cavity. If that process is not stopped, the decay will continue toward the nerve of the tooth.

Other causes include a fracture that exposes the pulp, traumatic injury such as a blow to a tooth, a cracked or loose filling or repeated fillings in a tooth, and occasionally from periodontal (gum) disease. Regardless of the initial cause, the tooth pulp becomes irritated and an abscess (infection) can occur. Bacteria from your saliva grow within the tooth pulp, causing pressure and pain. Eventually the pulp dies, causing the bone around the tooth to be destroyed.

Signs You Should Get Root Canal Treatment

Dentists often recommend root canal treatments to save a tooth when the pulp is damaged beyond repair. Once a tooth is entirely developed, the pulp can be removed harmlessly.

A root canal procedure might be necessary for the following situations:

When the tooth is decayed beyond repair
When the tooth is fractured, exposing the pulp
Injury to the tooth causing soft tissue damage

If you have been experiencing pain or sensitivity due to hot and cold foods or experiencing tenderness in the gums, we can provide you with a same-day appointment. If neglected, the infection of the dental pulp can worsen and deter. It can even cause the development of an abscess at the root of the tooth.

A Tooth Tour

Partial Dentures– A removable partial denture or bridge usually consists of replacement teeth attached to a pink or gum-coloured plastic base, which is connected to a metal framework that holds the denture in place. Partial dentures are used when 1 or more natural teeth remain in the upper or lower jaw.

The Process of Root Canal Therapy

Once it has been determined (with X-rays and clinical examination) that root canal treatment is necessary, you will be scheduled for 1 or more appointments. Your visits may last 1 to 2 hours and you may receive local anesthesia. A rubber dam (a protective sheet of rubber that covers your mouth) may be used to isolate your tooth and prevent bacteria from entering it. The goal of the root canal therapy is to improve the health of your damaged tooth by removing the pulp from your root canals through a small opening in the crown. Then the canals are sealed with special materials to prevent bacteria from reaching your bone. Your dentist then restores the outside of your tooth so it will function properly and have a healthy appearance. After root canal therapy your tooth continues to be nourished by your surrounding gums and bone.

Care Following Treatment

Filling Your Root Canals

After the pulp has been removed from your root canals and they have been smoothed, your dentist may fill the canals with tiny, cone-shaped pieces of gutta-percha – a firm, rubber-like material – or use another dental material. A sealer-cement is used to seal the filling material into place.

Cleaning & Shaping Your Root Canals

First, your dentist makes an opening in your tooth and removes any filling and decay. Then the unhealthy pulp is removed with tiny, flexible files. By using delicate, up-and-down motions, your dentist gently cleans and smoothes your canals to prepare them for the canal-filling materials.

Restoring Your Tooth

After the inside of your tooth has been treated, the outside will be restored to protect your tooth’s underlying structures and to give it a healthy appearance. If your tooth needs extra support, some of the gutta-percha may be removed and a post inserted before the filling and crown are applied.

Once the root canal treatment has been completed, you should be aware of the following considerations:

Discolouration– Occasionally, an endodontically treated tooth may undergo a change in colour. While this is of no great medical concern, you may be interested in having the tooth bleached. Be sure to ask your dentist about tooth bleaching.

Brittleness– A non-vital (endodontically treated) tooth is more brittle than a vital one, and is more susceptible to fracture. Therefore, we recommend that your root canal teeth be crowned (capped) following treatment.

Occasionally, a tooth that has undergone endodontic treatment fails to heal or pain continues despite therapy. Some of the special complications that can occur include accessory root canals (large side canals coming off the main canal that cannot be cleaned out), badly curved or cracked roots, and narrow canals that prevent thorough cleaning and sealing of the damaged tooth. Sometimes, for unknown reasons, tissues simply fail to heal or a tooth that initially responds to root canal therapy becomes painful or diseased months or years later.

Whatever the cause, retreatment may be necessary in order to save the tooth. During retreatment, the tooth is reopened and the canals are cleaned, filled and sealed again. There are, of course, no guarantees that the procedure will be successful, but your endodontist can discuss with you the chances of success before the tooth is retreated. Extraction is the only alternative to retreatment and unless the tooth is replaced with an artificial one (an expensive procedure), adjoining teeth will shift, interfering with biting and chewing. Loss of a tooth can also lead to periodontal disease and loss of additional teeth.

Schedule an Appointment

To learn more about our root canal treatment in Ajax, contact-us. If you want to know if this procedure is right for you, fill out our online form. We also provide dental bridges and dentures to enhance your smile.