When you develop a bacterial infection in one of your teeth, the infection can spread to the surrounding soft tissue and even into your jaw bone. In addition to the toothache that accompanies a tooth infection, you can experience localised swelling, difficulty chewing, tooth sensitivity and an abscess. Root canal treatment is a common dental procedure that can be carried out at your dentist's office. The goal of the treatment is to prevent a severely infected tooth from having to be extracted. The treatment eradicates the bacteria causing the infection, and this brings quick relief from the severe pain that a tooth infection can cause. Read on to learn about what root canal treatment entails.

Preparing For The Procedure

Before treatment begins, your dentist will X-ray the affected tooth to gain a better understanding of the severity of the infection being treated. The area being worked on will then be numbed using a local anaesthetic, and your dentist will place a dental dam around the tooth being treated. This helps with moisture control and protects your tooth during the procedure. If you feel particularly anxious about having root canal treatment, you could talk to your dentist about the suitability of a mild sedative.

Removing The Soft Pulp

Each tooth has a layer of soft pulp within it, and this is where bacterial infection can take hold, due to bacteria accessing the soft pulp through a cavity or hairline crack in the tooth enamel. The pulp needs to be removed to clean the bacteria out of the tooth, and your dentist will do this by drilling a hole into the tooth surface and using small metal tools to clean the inner tooth. Disinfectant will then be applied to kill off bacteria, but it's also likely you will need a course of oral antibiotics to ensure no infection remains after treatment.

Filling The Cavity

Your dentist will use a sealing paste to fill the gap left by having the tooth pulp removed. This paste is often made of natural latex, but there are alternatives available for those with a latex allergy. The drill hole on the surface of your tooth will then be sealed with a traditional amalgam filling or newer composite filling, which can be made to match the colour of your natural tooth. You may need to eat a soft food diet for a few days after the procedure, but you should feel much better soon after your root canal treatment.

Root canal treatment tends to be more successful when carried out early, so if you think you have a tooth infection, seek treatment as soon as possible.