Regina Lakeview Dental Centre
Root Canals in Regina
When is Root Canal Treatment Indicated?
Your dentist will typically recommend root canal therapy to treat an infected or inflamed tooth.
What Happens with This Procedure?
Your dentist will make a hole in the biting surface of the tooth. This hole is used to access the pulp (nerve) tissue. Once accessed, the diseased pulp tissue is removed and the root canals are disinfected and then filled with a rubber-like filling material.
Your dentist will then either recommend a crown or a filling for the tooth. Your root canal treatment will be completed under rubber dam isolation to create the most desirable operating field.
What are my Other Treatment Options?
No Treatment
Extraction (with or without replacement)
What are the risks of treatment?
Like all dental procedures, root canal treatment comes with some level of risk. When you choose to have root canal treatment you are consenting to the following risks:
Post-operative discomfort that may last for several days.
Swelling that can result from infection in and around the treated area. At times it may require further medication (antibiotics) or further treatment.
Fracture of the tooth or restoration during treatment. While rare, the tooth would then require extraction, or a new restoration could be placed at the patient’s cost.
Separation of an instrument. While the utmost care is taken in the fabrication, maintenance and operation of endodontic equipment, there are times when an instrument can fracture. If this happens, attempts may be made to remove the instrument, or the patient may require referral to an endodontist (specialist in root canal therapy).
Restricted jaw opening for several days
Injury to nerves which may cause pain, numbness, or tingling.
Failure of the root canal. Even under ideal circumstances root canal treatment can fail. This typically occurs in 5-10% of cases. If the initial root canal fails, it can sometimes be treated with a surgical root canal (apicoectomy). Not having a definitive final restoration is a common cause of failure. Frequently the ideal final restoration for root canal treated tooth is a crown, especially on the back teeth.
A Comprehensive General Dental Practice Serving Regina Since 1975