Guelph Root Canal

Dr. Lucia Ambrochi is a dentist and has answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about Root Canal.


Q.  What is root canal treatment?

A. When a tooth gets infected due to bacteria being present in a deep cavity, and it enters the nerve, the result is a painful condition known as an abscess. At times, injury or fracture of a tooth may also require a root canal, especially if the fracture results in the nerve being exposed to bacteria in the mouth.  A root canal (or Endodontics) is a treatment used to clean out the infected tooth and save it from being extracted. 

Q.  What does treatment involve?

A. The tooth will be tested and assessed for extent of the damage. An opening will be made through the tooth or existing crown to access and clean out the infected tissue in the centre. This space will be then filled with a special material and the opening will be sealed. The tooth will be ready for future restoration.

Q.  What are the signs of needing endodontic treatment?

A. In case of a long lasting chronic infection, the tooth may have no initial symptoms. It could be detected during routine dental visits with the help of an X-ray. Occasionally the tooth may get darker than other teeth in the mouth or have a boil in the gum around the affected tooth. If the nerve inside the tooth becomes inflamed or an infection flairs up, a person will have a severe throbbing toothache that comes and goes at the beginning and becomes constant in time. The symptoms usually get worsen during the night or exposure to cold or hot foods or beverages.  The common pain medications may help at the beginning, but after a while, they lose their potency.  The more infections will progress the more of the swelling may appear around the tooth or face. At this stage, the situation may be life threatening especially in children and adults with weak immune system.

Q.  Are pain pills and antibiotics an acceptable substitute for root canal?

A. The antibiotics are one of the measures for severe flair ups, but they do not substitute the need for the root canal treatment. Without proper treatment the infection in the tooth will continue to progress and spread around the tooth. The bacteria from the tooth could spread to the rest of the body and weaken the immune system.

Q.  Are there alternative treatments for root canal?

A. The only other alternative treatment for the root canal is extraction of the tooth. Losing the tooth has its own risks and side effects.

Q.  How much will the procedure cost?

A. The cost for the Root Canal Treatment varies due to the location of the tooth, number of roots present in the tooth, the difficulty of accessing the nerves in it or if the tooth requires treatment by a specialist.  The price may range from couple of hundreds dollars to over a thousand and does not include any other treatment necessary to complete the treatment of that particular tooth. In every situation, the dentist will be able to give an estimate before the start of the treatment.

Q.  Will the tooth need any special care or additional treatment?

A. Yes, the tooth will require a filling, which may need to be reinforced with a post and a crown that will be fabricated to fit over the weakened tooth. During dental visits, the tooth will be assessed and monitored for future problems and needs. As any other teeth in the mouth, the tooth with a Root Canal Treatment is susceptible to cavities, fractures and gum disease.

Q.  How to contact Dr. Ambrochi if we have further questions?

A. Lucia Ambrochi, DDS
West Hills Dentistry
995 Paisley Rd., Suite 10A/11
Guelph, ON, N1K 1X6
DentistryWestHills.com
dentistrywesthills@bellnet.ca
Tell: 519-824-2966