Toothache that will not settle

Root canal treatment is an endodontic procedure. Endodontics is the part of dentistry that treats the inside of a tooth. We take out the infected or inflamed pulp from inside the tooth. The pulp is the soft tissue in the middle that holds the nerve and blood supply. We then clean and shape the canals. We seal them with a filling that is safe for your body. This saves a tooth that would otherwise need extraction (having the tooth taken out). You may need it when the pulp is inflamed beyond repair (irreversible pulpitis). You may also need it for a dental abscess (a pocket of pus caused by infection). Other signs are pain on biting that will not settle. Or infection at the root tip showing on an X-ray. At Tower Dental Blackpool we do this under local anaesthetic. We use rotary nickel-titanium instruments, magnification and rubber dam isolation. We also flush the canals clean with modern rinsing fluids. You'll have a written quote before anything begins.

The Complete Guide to Root Canal Treatment in Blackpool

No dental treatment has a worse reputation than root canal. And no reputation is less deserved. Survey after survey asks patients who have had one. They rate it as no worse than a routine filling. They also rate it as far less upsetting than the toothache that came before it. The horror stories stick around because they are vivid and easy to retell. The dull truth is "actually it was fine". That does not make for a good story.

Root canal treatment saves teeth that would otherwise have to come out. Dentists call it endodontic treatment. We take the infected or inflamed pulp out of the tooth. Then we disinfect the space and seal it for good. The other option is extraction (having a tooth taken out). Taking the tooth out stops the pain. But it brings new long-term problems. The bone under the gap shrinks away. Nearby teeth drift out of line. And you chew less well. These changes can take years to show up, but they always do.

The Honest Answer to "Why Doesn't It Hurt More?"

There is a simple reason root canal treatment under local anaesthetic does not hurt. The treatment removes the source of the pain, which is the inflamed or infected pulp. Meanwhile the nerve endings in the bone and gum around it are numb. It feels much like having a deep filling. You get vibration from the instruments, some pressure and some noise. You do not get pain.

There is one case where numbing the tooth is harder. That is a tooth with an acute abscess and acute irreversible pulpitis. Inflamed tissue turns more acidic. Local anaesthetic does not work as well in acid. That is the real reason behind the old saying that "you can't numb an infected tooth." Modern methods get around it. One is an intraligamentary injection. That puts the anaesthetic straight into the periodontal (gum) ligament, the thin cushion between the root and the bone. Another is intraosseous anaesthesia, which goes straight into the bone next to the root. Dr Safa Rafiq, who has a special interest in endodontics (root canal treatment) at Tower Dental, uses the full range of these methods for tricky cases.

What Happens During Root Canal Treatment — The Technical Detail

Once you are numb, we place a rubber dam over the tooth. That is a small sheet of latex or latex-free rubber. It keeps the tooth apart from the rest of your mouth. So saliva cannot get into the root canals. It also keeps the cleaning fluids away from you. We use a rubber dam as standard. It keeps the tooth clean and dry during treatment.

We make a small opening through the top of the tooth to reach the pulp chamber. Then we find the canals. We use dental loupes, which are magnifying glasses. Sometimes we use a dental operating microscope as well. The number of canals depends on the tooth. Front teeth usually have 1. Molars usually have 3 or 4, and now and then 5.

Next we clean and shape the canals. We use a set of rotary nickel-titanium instruments. They bend with the natural curve of the root instead of straightening it. All the way through we rinse the canals out. We use sodium hypochlorite, which is a dilute bleach, and a fluid called EDTA. These rinses dissolve the debris and kill the bacteria left behind. The rinsing stage arguably matters more than the shaping. Most root canals that fail do so because bacteria survive in side canals that were not rinsed well enough.

Once the canals are clean, dry and shaped, we fill them. We use gutta-percha, a natural rubber material, along with a sealer. We pack it down so it fills the whole root space. Then we repair the opening we made. In most cases we then fit a crown. The crown protects the root-treated tooth from cracking.

Root Canal Treatment in Blackpool — Saving Teeth, Eliminating Pain

Root canal treatment saves a tooth that would otherwise have to come out. In the great most of cases, saving the tooth is the better long-term result for you. The treatment has an undeserved reputation for being painful. That is mostly because people link it with the severe toothache that came first. Under a good local anaesthetic, the treatment itself is no more uncomfortable than having a routine filling.

Accessibility and Membership at Tower Dental

Good private dentistry should not be only for people with plenty of spare money. Our dental membership plans make good routine care affordable for Blackpool patients. They start from £9.99 per month for children and from £19.50 per month for adults. A plan covers 2 examinations per year and 2 hygienist appointments. It also covers unlimited emergency consultations. You get worldwide dental accident insurance too. And 15% off all treatments. 0% finance over 6 or 10 months via V12, subject to status are available over 6 or 10 months on all treatment plans, subject to status. You get a full written quote before any treatment begins. There are never any surprises. Call Tower Dental Blackpool on 01253 353759 to book your first appointment or to ask about membership. We look forward to welcoming you to 302a Devonshire Road, Blackpool FY2 0TW.

Why Does a Tooth Need Root Canal Treatment?

Inside every tooth is a space that holds the dental pulp. The pulp is soft tissue. It is made up of nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue. Your tooth needed it while it was forming. A fully grown tooth does not need it to work. The pulp can get inflamed or infected beyond repair. Here is how that happens:

Deep decay that reaches the pulp chamber is the most common cause. First the poisons made by bacteria seep through the dentine. Then the bacteria themselves get into the pulp. That sets off inflammation, which dentists call pulpitis. At first it is reversible: the nerve is irritated but can still recover. Later it becomes irreversible: the pulp is dying or already dead. Irreversible pulpitis usually causes pain that starts on its own. Hot or cold sets off pain that lasts more than a few seconds. It often wakes you at night.

Dental trauma means a hard blow to the tooth. It can damage the blood supply that enters the tip of the root. The pulp then dies, even with no decay. Dentists call this pulp necrosis. It can happen days after the knock, or years later. The tooth may turn grey. An X-ray may show a dark shadow at the root tip. That shadow is called a periapical radiolucency. It means the long-running infection has destroyed some bone.

Cracked tooth syndrome lets bacteria reach the pulp through the crack. This one is sneaky. The crack often does not show on an X-ray. And the symptoms come and go, which makes them confusing.

Root Canal Treatment for Nervous Patients in Blackpool

If you are anxious about the dentist and need a root canal, Tower Dental Blackpool feels genuinely different. Dr Safa Rafiq, who has a special interest in endodontics, takes every case slowly. He explains each stage in detail. So you know exactly what is coming before it happens. Many patients who dreaded their root canal tell us afterwards it was far easier than they had imagined.

Root Canal vs Extraction — Making the Right Decision

Keeping a natural tooth is almost always better than taking it out. That is true even for a tooth that has had root canal treatment. Many patients are told they need a root canal and ask a fair question. Would it be simpler to just have the tooth out? It deserves a full answer. The reasons become clearer over the years that follow.

When a tooth comes out, the bone that held its root starts to shrink straight away. Within 1 year an X-ray shows a real loss of height and width in that bone. Over the years this changes the shape of your jaw. The teeth either side drift and tilt into the gap. The tooth above or below it grows down or up into the space. An implant stops that bone loss. But an implant means surgery, several months of healing and a higher total cost than a root canal plus a crown.

Sometimes taking the tooth out really is the better choice. One case is a root that has split lengthways, which no root canal can fix. Another is a tooth with too little left to rebuild afterwards. A third is advanced gum disease that has already destroyed the bone around the root. A fourth is a wisdom tooth that is not worth the effort of treating. We will never push root canal treatment when taking the tooth out and planning an implant would serve you better long term. But in most cases, saving the tooth is the right call.

After Root Canal — What to Expect and When to Crown

After root canal treatment the tooth will feel different for a few days. Some soreness in the gum and jaw is normal while the area settles. For most people, ibuprofen and paracetamol from the chemist handle it well. We put a temporary filling in at the end of the appointment. That needs swapping for a permanent one within 4 to 6 weeks. A filling will do, but a crown is better. If you leave it too long the tooth can get infected again or crack. For root canal treatment in Blackpool, contact Tower Dental on 01253 353759, 302a Devonshire Road, Blackpool FY2 0TW.

Root Canal Treatment Success Rates — What the Evidence Shows

Modern root canal treatment done under proper isolation has strong, well-recorded results. Success rates vary between dentists. That mostly comes down to how well the canals are rinsed out. The sodium hypochlorite and EDTA rinse arguably matters more than the shaping for the long-term result. At Tower Dental Blackpool we use a rubber dam as standard. We use rotary nickel-titanium instruments. And we rinse thoroughly, to clear as much of the leftover bacteria as we can from the side canals and the tiny tubes in the dentine.

Root Canal Blackpool — Emergency and Elective Treatment Available

Tower Dental Blackpool offers emergency root canal treatment for patients in bad pain from an infected tooth. We also offer planned root canal treatment as part of restorative care, which means repairing damaged teeth. For emergency root canal appointments, call 01253 353759 as early as you can. We always try to see patients in bad dental pain the same day. For planned treatment you get a full consultation and treatment plan first. Tower Dental is at 302a Devonshire Road, Blackpool FY2 0TW. We serve patients from all Blackpool postcodes and across Lancashire.

Tower Dental Blackpool — Why We Are Different

Tower Dental Blackpool at 302a Devonshire Road FY2 0TW is not a typical dental practice. We are an advanced private dental practice that happens to be in Blackpool. You get the convenience of a local practice. You also get the clinical depth, qualifications and quality of materials that most patients link with larger clinical settings or specialist referral centres. Our principal dentist Dr Sarah Metias holds the Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties from the Royal College of Surgeons of England (MJDF RCS, GDC 114267). That is an advanced postgraduate qualification. Our implant dentist Dr San Chatterjee has a special interest in implant dentistry (GDC 84643). Our clinical academic Dr Alaaeldin Elraggal holds a PhD in Dental Biomaterials. He brings research-level know-how on the materials used in restorative (repairing damaged teeth) and cosmetic dentistry.

All that postgraduate training is right here at our Blackpool practice. It helps every patient who comes to us. It is true whether you come for a routine examination or emergency treatment. The same goes for dental implants. And for composite bonding, which is tooth-coloured filling material shaped onto your teeth. We base our clinical decisions on strong evidence. We pick the materials carefully to suit each case. We give you the time your case needs. We do not cut it short to fit an NHS appointment schedule.

Patient-First Philosophy at Tower Dental Blackpool

Our philosophy is simple. We make every clinical decision in your best long-term interest. We do not pick the option that earns us the most per appointment. So we tell you honestly when you do not need treatment. We tell you when a cheaper option will give the same result as a dearer one. We tell you when your case is better handled elsewhere. We then refer you to the right specialist. We also tell you what results to expect in real life. That includes the limits of the treatment and the upkeep it will need. We do not oversell results.

This honesty matters to us. It is the base of the trust our patients place in us. The 5-star patient reviews on Google for Tower Dental say the same things again and again. They mention the team's honesty. They mention the lack of pressure. They mention how clearly we explain things, and the genuine care shown all the way through. Patients from across Blackpool, the Fylde Coast and Lancashire keep coming back to us. They send their family and friends too. That is not down to marketing or special offers. It is because the care here is really patient-focused.