Root Canal Treatment Dunfermline
Dental Practice In The Heart Of Dunfermline
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there alternatives to root canal treatment?
- Usually, the alternative to root canal treatment will be to extract your tooth.
- After the tooth is removed, you could accept having a space, or have a prosthetic replacement such as an implant, bridge or denture.
How safe and successful is root canal treatment?
- When carried out correctly, root canal treatments are very safe, and the dental literature shows a track record of very high success rates.
- This means we are able to save many teeth which would otherwise require extraction.
- You may have seen information suggesting that root canal treatments can cause infection or even more serious health complications. This is absolutely false. Root canal treatment REMOVES infected material from your mouth and sets the stage for your body to heal itself.
- However, no dental procedure carries a 100% success rate. In a small number of cases the tooth is still unable to heal despite our best efforts. In these cases, the tooth usually has to be extracted to permit proper healing.
Can my general dentist do my root canal treatment for me?
- All general dentists are allowed to carry out root canal treatments, but as dental professionals we all have to stay within our individual limits.
- Endodontics has become more and more intricate over the years as research, materials and techniques have developed.
- Dr Calum Imray dedicates all of his clinical time to this area of dentistry and can tackle cases which most general dentists may not feel able (or may not have the necessary equipment) to complete.
- Some of Calum’s referring colleagues prefer to send all of their patients requiring root canal treatment to him, whereas others will complete straightforward cases themselves and only refer a patient when their case is particularly challenging.
What happens after my tooth receives root canal treatment?
- This will be discussed at your consultation and treatment appointments.
- If you have been referred to us Dr Calum Imray will write back to your general dentist upon completion of your treatment with a summary of what has been done and his recommendations for further treatment and monitoring.
- As a general rule front teeth do not require a crown after root canal treatment as long as they are structurally sound.
- Back teeth (molars and premolars) are more heavily involved in chewing and are often more broken down by the time a root canal treatment becomes necessary. Ideally a back tooth should be protected with a crown or similar porcelain restoration after root canal treatment is finished. This will be carried out by your general dentist.
