Root canal treatment commonly known as endodontics in dentistry, it is needed when the blood or nerve supply of the tooth (called the ‘pulp') is infected through decay or injury. You may not feel any pain in the early stages of the infection. In some cases your tooth could darken in colour, which may mean that the nerve of the tooth has died or is dying. Sometimes you might not realise you have a tooth infection until the tooth changes colour or if a abscess occurs, if this happens you will get a constant throbbing pain and have sensitivity to hot and cold drinks/food. Many dentists have different techniques for this treatment and might say that you need more appointments but at The Dentist for the treatment we ask that you have 2 appointments. For the first appointment the dentist would gain access to the pulp/nerve, remove any bacteria around the pulp, clean the pulp using files and use a wash ( Hyperclorite ) this helps kill the bacteria in the pulp while the file removes it. After that he will take impressions for a crown. This makes the tooth look like a tooth again and to protect the tooth from breaking as after removing the nerve from a tooth it becomes delicate almost like a shell. The final stage for the first appointment would be to place antibiotics (Calcium Hydroxide) on top of the pulp; This will help kill any bacteria remaining so that on the second visit the dentist can do a deeper clean into the canals. Finally the dentist will put a temporary filling to stop any food getting into the tooth. On the second appointment the dentist will remove the temporary filling and go back into the canals to clean them again using the files and wash. Once the dentist is happy that all debris is removed he will fill the canals and fill the pulp with temporary and finally glue the crown on top of the tooth. If you feel that you need this treatment contact us... The Dentist 57 Liskeard Road, Walsall, WS5 3EY 01922 624 900 http://emergencydentistinbirmingham.co.uk/nhs1/