Root Canal Treatment

A root canal filling involves a dentist removing the inflamed and often infected nerve housed in the small canal of the tooth.

If a Root Canal Filling is not performed, the infection inside the canal then spreads to the end of the tooth and ionto the surrounding bone. This is known as an apical abscess, and typically the individual will experience either a very painful throbbing pain or a dull ache. After the nerve inside a tooth has actively finished dying off (this usually takes 4-10 days in its initial phase), the pain may return some weeks, months or years later as an abscess and will either need to be extracted or a root canal attempted if this is still a viable option.

Your dentist will point out areas that will need treatment like the following:

• Where an area of infection is apparent from an x-ray
• Where Decay has been found close or into the pulp of the tooth (nerve)
• Where symptoms correspond to other evidence gathered

We usually recommend crowning or onlaying Root Canal filled teeth as after this treatment they are prone to fracture as they become more brittle. A crown or onlay will strengthen your tooth and make it look great which means you can use it to chew on without fear of fracture.

Usually we wait a few weeks to months before crowning and onlaying your tooth to see if the root canal treatment has been successful and no symptoms have re-occurred.

Root canal treatment usually has a high success rate of up to 95% over a 5 year period. The success rate depends entirely upon the standard of the root canal filling, and if there have been any factors during the procedure lowering the success. If a tooth has already been root canal filled and we are re-doing the root canal a second time, this can lower the success rate also. The success of a root canal may be considerably less (around 80%) if there has been an area of infection (an apical abscess) for a long period of time. The sooner you act on a diagnosed tooth, the better!

Symptoms of a tooth in need of root canal include:

• Pain that lasts for more than a few seconds
• Throbbing pain
• Pain on Biting
• A swelling in the gum

Your dentist will assess the tooth clinically and with x-rays to confirm a diagnosis before discussing all the available options with you.
Noticing a tooth that’s getting darker or becoming increasingly sensitive? These are signs that shouldn’t be ignored. Read our guide on 10 signs it’s time to see our Bath dentist to find out when to act.

How much you pay will depend on how many root canals the individual tooth has, but your dentist will be able to advise you on this at your examination.

Our pricing system is as follows:

• Incisors / Canines = £595 per tooth
• Premolars = £695 per tooth single visit
• Premolars Double Visit  = £745
• Molars = £925 per tooth

Retreatment will tend to be slightly more expensive as the procedure is more complex. Your dentist will need to remove all of the filling from your last treatment before they’re able to start again.

Luckily however, the success rate for root canal therapy is high so once it has been finished, it’s unlikely you will need any more work for years to come.