Root Canal Filling

[scoobydooby]

A couple of months back I had a raging toothache.  I saw my NHS dentist (who speaks little English).  it turned out I had an abscess.  He gave me some anti-biotics and asked me to book an appointment for a root canal filling.  The toothache cleared up with the medication (and heavy pain relief) and I've had (touch wood) no trouble since.  My appointment is coming up in October.  My question is....what can a root canal filling do that an ordinary filling can't in this case?  Clearly, there's no longer an abscess.  Isn't an abscess usually created through infection getting through a hole in your tooth?  If so, why can't that hole simply be located and filled?  I would be grateful for any replies - I simply cannot get my head around why a root canal is ever needed - unless the abscess won't go away and it needs to be drained.  I don't suppose I'll get any answer from a qualified dentist but it's worth a try and I know there's some very knowledgable ab'ers out there.

[andy hughes]

I'm no expert - althpough I have had two RC's done. My dentist advised that in the first place, if there has been an abcess, there is every chance that it will return - the area is always going to be prone to bacteria and infection. The root canal proceedure is completed because the pulp and nerves are damaged, and standard fillings wil simply lead to further decay and pain problems in the future. One the RC proceedure is complete, the bacteria access is sealed, and the tooth is saved.

The proceedure is longer than a standard filling, but not painful, apart from a couple of days' soreness afterwards, which responds to pain killers.

[Hermia]

A root canal is done if the nerves in the root are dying off. If a dentist does a normal filling there will be nasty stuff going on underneath it. The dentist needs to clear out all the stuff in your tooth (which is why root canals take quite a long time to do). I've had two and I found they were a bit achy for a few months, but I've never had any problems since.

[sloggue]

Your dentist is right to carry out root canal treatment. An abcess is the basically the final thing to happen to a tooth when it has either been traumatised or decay has reached the nerves to the tooth. Antibiotics will only temporarily resolve the infection. Simply filling it will close in the infection and cause recurring abcesses which may result in the tooth needing to be removed. Root canal treatment shouldn't be a painful procedure if done properly. By the way I have worked in dentistry for the last 14 years and have seen a good few root canals in my time!!