Root Canal Treatment in Bromley

Causes of endodontic disease

The dental pulp becomes infected when bacteria manages to infiltrate the tooth and causes an infection. In a healthy tooth, there is a natural barrier preventing bacteria entering the pulp, but if a tooth becomes unhealthy or compromised in some way, this barrier fails. The most common causes of this are tooth decay due to insufficient oral hygiene, failing restorations, like a defective filling or crown, cracks, damage from a blow to the tooth perhaps in an accident, and gum disease.

Signs and symptoms

Endodontic disease can manifest itself in a number of ways, including sensitivity to both hot and cold liquids and pain when biting or chewing. It can be intermittent pain which occurs when doing any of the above activities, or it can be constant, and both low-level and severe. It can also occur when changing position, like from lying down to standing up or respond to changes in pressure.

If you experience any sort of sensitivity with your tooth, it’s important to come and see us as soon as possible to receive early treatment.

Treatment

If we see signs of disease, the preferred course of action is root canal treatment. This is when one of our endodontic specialists in Bromley carefully removes any infected pulp tissue from the inside of the tooth. After this, they meticulously clean and disinfect the healthy remaining pulp and root to make sure all the infection has been removed. The final step is to fill the root back up with special root-filling material which restores the root to its correct function and protects it from further infection.

If the disease has been left untreated for a while, the effect can be more severe, as the root tip can be infected and an abscess may form. In the most severe cases, the infection then moves into the bone supporting the root and causes bone loss and sometimes a cyst. For these cases an ‘apicectomy’ is performed, where the root tip is removed and any abscess or cyst treated. Where the whole root is lost, your bone will need to be repaired and a replacement tooth secured with an implant.

Does endodontic treatment hurt?

Treatment can normally be carried out in one or two visits and we always make sure we give appropriate anaesthesia so that it is as comfortable for you as possible. By quickly and effectively treating the disease, we can finally free you from that constant, joy-sapping pain that you have been enduring, and restore your pain-free smile.

Bridges in Bromley

Another way of replacing a missing tooth or set of teeth is fixing a bridge. A bridge is a structure that supports one or more replacement teeth and is supported by a crown on each end, thus forming a 'bridge' across the gap. Bridges are fixed into the mouth and cannot be removed, so they are a long-term, stable solution to missing teeth.

Crowns in Chislehurst

In addition to restoring existing teeth and anchoring bridges, crowns can be used to replace a single missing tooth as the visible component of an implant, which replaces the root of the missing tooth.

Dentures in Chislehurst

Dentures are a removable option for replacing a lost tooth or teeth. They custom-made to fit snugly on top of the gums and are sometimes fixed in place with adhesives. Dentures are a cost-effective solution for replacing missing teeth, and are relatively easy to clean and maintain as they can be removed from the mouth.

Dental Implants in South East London

Perhaps the ultimate in tooth replacement is the dental implant, an increasingly popular option, as it is a permanent fixture that replaces not only the visible portion of the tooth, but the root as well. This allows you greater strength and stability in eating and also prevents your jawbone from receding, which can in turn cause facial muscles to sag and make you look older than you are. Read more about implants here.