Read more about root canal treatments and contact us for further questions.
What is a root canal treatment?
Root canal treatment removes the tooth's nerve from the pulp chamber and root canals. To access the pulp chamber and root canals, the dentist often has to drill a hole in the tooth. Once access to the inside of the tooth is gained, the dentist removes the tooth's nerve and cleans the inside of the tooth of inflammatory tissue and bacteria.
A root canal is a dental treatment you can have done by a dentist. You may need a root canal if a nerve in your tooth is severely inflamed either due to decay or a blow.
The treatment is very common and in most cases can be performed at home.
When is root canal treatment necessary?
Root canal treatments are necessary if the tooth's nerve has died. Often the death of the tooth nerve will be a result of inflammation, and sometimes it will be necessary to perform the root canal treatment while the nerve is inflamed.
There can be several reasons why the tooth nerve has died.
The most common causes of a dead tooth nerve are:
- Cavity(toothdecay). Depending on how big the hole in your tooth is and how close it is to the tooth's nerve, acid and waste products formed by bacteria can penetrate the tooth's hard tissue and affect the nerve.
- The tooth has suffered a blow (trauma) that has damaged the nerve. Damage to the nerve can occur both when the tooth is broken due to the impact and when it appears completely intact. Even if the tooth is not broken, the impact may still be visible as the congealed blood inside the tooth gives the tooth a bluish tinge.
If you are a member of Sygeforsikring Danmark, there are subsidies available for your treatment.
Symptoms of root inflammation
If you have tooth root inflammation, you've most likely experienced symptoms or pain. However, inflammation is not always noticeable and some people don't feel anything until it reaches the jaw, where it can cause far more damage than when it's only in the tooth root. Timely root canal treatment is therefore a prerequisite for avoiding an extensive and expensive course of treatment.
It's a good idea to give us a call if:
- You have pain when you chew
- You have constant throbbing pain
- A tooth feels higher than normal when you bite down
- Unpleasant taste in the mouth
- Swelling at the jaw.
How does a root canal treatment work?
At Tandliv, we have a referral dentist who only performs root canal treatments.
He takes care of root canals, which are difficult for most dentists to succeed with.
The most common complications of root canal treatment are broken stuck root files, insufficient root fillings due to inaccessible or blocked root canals, or root tip inflammation developed after root canal treatment.
A root canal treatment can be divided into 5 steps:
- We always start with a consultation with you. In most cases, we will also take an X-ray to get an insight into how your tooth is doing.
- When we start the treatment itself, the aim is to remove the tooth's dead nerve from what is called the 'pulp chamber' and 'root canals'. To access the nerve, in most cases we drill a hole in the tooth.
- Once access to the inside of the tooth is established, we remove the tooth's nerve and clean the inside of the tooth of inflammatory tissue and bacteria. We do this with special thin files that smooth the sides of the root canal with an antibacterial liquid that we rinse the root canal with.
- Once the root canal is cleaned, we fill it completely and seal it.
- Now the treatment of the tooth's interior is over, and if the tooth was intact when the root canal treatment started, we finish the treatment with a small filling. If the tooth was more damaged before the root canal treatment, it may be a good idea to have a dental crown placed.
If you suffer from dental anxiety, you are welcome to stop by for a relaxed chat with one of our dentists before you book an appointment for the actual treatment.
How long does a root canal treatment take?
A root canal is one of the larger treatments a dentist can perform. Therefore, it is also a slightly more time-consuming procedure. However, there are several factors that determine how long your root canal treatment will take.
The condition of your tooth before root canal treatment matters. The worse the condition, the longer it will take.
It varies from patient to patient how much of the tooth it is possible to preserve. Some patients can retain parts of the tooth and nerve, while others need a lot more plastic filling.
There can be several reasons why root canal treatment is necessary. Typically, it will be due to an untreated cavity, a broken tooth, or an old filling that has caused cracks.
However, most root canal treatments will take place over two consultations, where we as a practitioner ensure that all bacteria and any inflammation is removed.
Once a root canal treatment has been performed, we will of course check up on the condition at your scheduled annual or semi-annual general check-ups.
Are there side effects after root canal treatment?
A root canal treated tooth can become grayish to bluish discolored over time and may require teeth whitening or crown treatment to make it cosmetically pleasing.
Unfortunately, you should expect some pain in the first few days after root canal treatment. This can usually be relieved with common over-the-counter medication.
Contact your dentist if you experience pain:
- Increases in strength during chewing.
- Does not decrease in strength over time.
Does root canal treatment hurt a tooth?
The root canal treatment itself is not painful as you will be under local anesthesia. The local anesthetic is applied with a very small and thin needle. Therefore, the amount of pain you will feel during this part of the treatment is also limited. After the treatment, you will also only experience mild pain for the first few days, which can usually be managed with regular over-the-counter medication.
Do you suffer from dental fearYou don't have to worry about it hurting. We are used to dealing with patients who are afraid of how the treatment will go. If this is the case with you, we can make sure you don't feel anything at all during the anesthesia.
In addition, it's always a good idea to let us in on your thoughts. That way, we know the conditions for you to have a good experience, which may even help your dental fear in the future.
FAQ - Root canal treatment
A root canal is a dental procedure that aims to treat infected tooth nerves. It is a form of endodontic treatment that involves removing the infected tissue and filling the cavity with a material that protects the tooth from further damage. Root canal treatments are often necessary to preserve a damaged or infected tooth and prevent tooth loss. They are usually performed under local anesthesia and can help relieve pain and preserve the function and appearance of the tooth.
The cost of root canal treatment depends on a number of factors, such as the complexity of the treatment, the location of the tooth and the area where you live.
At Tandliv, we have great prices on root canal treatments - the price of treating 1 canal is around 2000, 2 canals for around 2600 and 3 canals for around 3500. We also offer a 15% discount for students! See our current dental prices here.
The duration of a root canal treatment depends on the complexity of the treatment and the condition of each tooth. In general, a root canal treatment takes between one and two hours. In some cases, one or more subsequent visits may be required to complete the treatment. It is important to follow your dentist's instructions on when to return to complete the treatment to ensure the tooth heals properly and to avoid further damage.
Contact us and get advice
If you have any doubts or questions, don't hesitate to contact us.
- I look forward to meeting you in the clinic.
- Dentist
Year of birth: 1988
I have been employed at Tandlægerne i Glostrup since March 1, 2018. On a daily basis, I work to treat and prevent disease in your mouth.
What I am passionate about is giving people a nice and well-functioning set of teeth painlessly and in a safe environment.
Contact Tandliv for questions
Do you have questions about prices or the treatment process?
Contact Tandliv today and get answers to your questions.
