Our surgery offers root canal treatment as a special interest treatment to externally referred patients. Treatment is provided by Dr. K Thanki who is also a member of the British Endodontic Society and has a Special Interest in this field.
Patient Information- FAQ’s about Root Canal Treatment ( RCT)
- What does RCT involve? : RCT is the treatment of the nerve that is found inside the tooth. RCT involves the replacement of this nerve with a rubber-like filling.
- What is the aim of RCT? : The main aim here is to clean the root canal, to disinfect it, and to fill it with a rubber filling.
- Is it painful? : Local anesthesia is used to numb the pain during treatment. Very occasionally there may be some discomfort following RCT. This is usually remedied by a course of painkiller and antibiotics.
- How many appointments will I need? Usually no more than 2. You will be informed of how many appointments you will require immediately following your initial exam.
- Is success guaranteed?: No, like any medical procedure success cannot be guaranteed.
- What happens after RCT has been completed? : If all your symptoms (pain, sensitivity, tenderness, etc) which you may have had before treatment are solved then it is prudent to contact your own dentist soon who may recommend that the tooth be crowned.
- Why crown a root treated tooth?: Following root treatment the tooth becomes brittle and it is prudent to have it crowned to stop it from breaking, thus elongating the life of the tooth.
Dr Kumar P Thanki is a member of the British Endodontic Society and accepts referrals for Root canal treatments. Dental colleagues can refer via this Root Canal Referral Form
We use sectional CT scan when needed to assess canal anatomy and existing apical health of the tooth wherever this is necessary. This approach is very useful in recommending the correct / more appropriate treatment, (i.e the root canal vs extraction question) at the outset. There is no extra charge for the sectional CT.