StoneRock Dental Care

  • About Us
    • Patient Journey
    • Testimonials
    • Our Fees
    • StoneRock Prevention and Platinum Plan Membership
    • The Gentle Dental Philosophy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Access Statement
  • Our Team
    • Ian Kerr
    • Russell Blanchard
    • Antonio de Vivo
    • Guy McLellan
    • Matthew McNulty
    • Arwa Al-Khaburi
    • Hygiene Team
    • Pawel Lasota
    • Nursing Team
    • Customer Service Team
    • Osteopath Team
    • Chiropractic Clinic
  • Treatments
    • Cosmetic Dentistry
      • Whitening
      • Bridges
      • Porcelain Crowns
      • Porcelain Veneers
      • Direct Composites – white fillings
    • Invisalign
    • Adult Orthodontics
      • Inman Aligner
    • Smile Solutions
    • Family Dentistry
    • Wedding Day Smiles
    • StoneRock Facial Clinic
      • Non Surgical Facial Treatments
      • Plasma Rich Growth Factor (PRGF) Facelift
    • Periodontal Care
    • Hygienist Care
    • Osteopath Clinic
    • Dental Health
    • Dental Pain
    • Snoring and Sleep Apnoea
    • Smoking Cessation
  • Implant Clinic
    • All on 4 Implants
    • Implant Retained Crowns
    • Implant Retained Bridges
    • Mind The Gap – Missing Teeth
    • Implant Fees
  • FAQs
    • What is Cosmetic Dentistry?
      • Cosmetic Dentistry – Frequently Asked Questions
    • Inman Aligner FAQs
    • What is a Root Canal Filling?
    • What is an Dental Implant?
    • What is a Crown?
    • What is Fibre Reinforced Composite?
    • What is a Veneer?
    • What’s in a Smile?
    • What are Dentures?
    • What is PRGF® ?
  • News
  • Contact Us
    • A Healthy Mouth, Our Top Ten Tips
    • Ask A Question
    • Patient Referral
    • Links

What is a Root Canal Filling?

A root canal filling is a way of keeping a tooth, once the live part (the pulp) has become irreversibly damaged.

The pulp is a mixture of nerve fibres and tiny blood vessels that can become very inflamed (giving tooth ache) or die off (causing an abscess). This can happen either in the presence of tooth decay or after a heavy blow to the tooth.

The aim of the procedure is to painlessly remove the damaged pulp, under local anaesthetic, and remove any infection that may be present. Once the canals have been cleaned and shaped they are filled with a special filling material. This work is usually carried out over two visits of up to 90 minutes a time. Once the root canal filling is in place, the crown of the tooth is restored with a large filling or cast restoration.

An Example of Root Canal Filled Teeth

Root Canal Filling
FAQ

Are root fillings always successful?
Root canal fillings are a very successful treatment, with success rates well over 90% for many teeth. Obviously some cases do fail, most commonly when teeth are either very broken down or have an unusually complex root structure. Failure can also occur when the root canals are infected with bacteria that are resistant to the anti-bacterial pastes that are used.

Why does a root filling cost so much more than a normal filling?
A root canal filling takes much longer than a routine filling, usually over two visits and the fees reflect this. As well as the extra time, root canal fillings also require a great deal of specialist equipment and extra training, which adds to the overall cost.

Do root fillings hurt?
With careful use of local anaesthetic a root canal filling can be completely painless from start to finish. When a root canal filling is being done to a tooth that has been causing toothache, it will take the pain away and leave the patient feeling much better.

My dentist says I need a root filling but the tooth doesn’t hurt me, so why should I bother?
When a tooth has died off there is often no pain from it, usually because the pulp has been destroyed. Although there is no pain, there will be infection present that will lead to an abscess. Early treatment of the tooth will remove this infection before it worsens and will prevent the abscess from becoming a problem.

If I don’t want a root filling what other choices have I got?
Once the pulp of the tooth has become irreversibly damaged then a root canal filling is the only way of keeping the tooth. The only alternative treatment is to extract the tooth. Before making a decision on whether to save a tooth or not, any patient should consider how much it would cost to replace the tooth, and how this work will affect the teeth round about. Keeping the tooth with a root canal filling is usually the cheapest, least destructive option.

Download a PDF of this page by clicking here
(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader – download it for free by clicking here)

For more information or to book an appointment at our dentist practice in Kent please contact our Reception Team on 01580 752202 or info@stonerock.co.uk and they will be very happy to help.

Sign up to our newsletter

Sign up to the quarterly StoneRock newsletter, to be kept informed of our latest news, events and special offers plus educational pieces about dental health.

Connect with StoneRock

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Search

Latest News

  • LLM by Research for Ian Kerr BDS MSc
  • Invisalign
  • Invisalign Open Evening May 10th

StoneRock on Facebook

This message is only visible to admins.
Problem displaying Facebook posts.
Click to show error
Error: Server configuration issue

About StoneRock Dental Care

StoneRock Dental Care is a stunning dental practice in Hawkhurst, Nr Cranbrook on the Kent and East Sussex border. We provide every level of care, from routine family dental visits to complete cosmetic dental makeovers, including dental implants, teeth whitening, veneers, bridges and other cosmetic dental and facial aesthetic techniques.

We know how hard it can be to choose a dentist and we know how tough it can be to decide what treatment is right for you, therefore we put your comfort and your well being at the heart of every treatment that we provide.

You can contact us on 01580 752202 or info@stonerock.co.uk

Latest News

  • LLM by Research for Ian Kerr BDS MSc
  • Invisalign
  • Invisalign Open Evening May 10th
  • Administration Manager Job Role
  • Qualified Dental Nurse
  • Receptionist Job
  • Children’s Dental Health
  • Trainee Dental Nurse

Follow us on Twitter

  • StoneRock remains open. Currently there are no restrictions with regard to medical treatment, it is both safe and e… https://t.co/Envx37AI7Fover a year ago
  • https://t.co/Mhzk0GyGLN https://t.co/9zQs4dijTvover a year ago
  • https://t.co/DZlEnyMPmv https://t.co/DoIs1YjNvEover a year ago

© Copyright 2023 StoneRock Dental Care, All Rights Reserved · Legal · Cookie Policy · Site by Nick Ebdon

StoneRock Dental Care is a trading name of SR Moors Limited · Registered Office: Stonerock House, High Street, Hawkhurst, Kent TN18 4AG · Registered in England and Wales, Number: 6896953