Endodontic Therapy

Root canal therapy aims to save your natural tooth by disinfecting the inside of the tooth, allowing the surrounding tissues to heal. The process removes the diseased pulp using specially designed instruments and magnification with clinical precision. The root canal system is cleaned, enlarged, shaped and medicated to control bacteria and ensure comfort.

At a follow up appointment, the tooth is cleaned again before being filled and sealed. A comprehensive report is sent to your general dentist who will place a full coverage filling or crown, restoring full function and appearance.

Root Canal Retreatment

Root canal therapy is usually very successful, especially with an experienced endodontist. However, some cases may not heal as expected or remain painful due to persistent or recurring infection.

Typically spread over two or three appointments, the tooth is reopened to remove the original root filling so the canals can be reshaped and medicated. After allowing time for the medication to work and the infection to heal, the canals are refilled. Some cases might need a new filling or crown during or after the process. We will refer you back to your dentist for this when necessary.

Endodontic Microsurgery

This minor surgical procedure removes bacteria from the tip of the tooth root and is required in a small percentage of cases where conventional root canal therapy hasn’t fully healed the infection.

This procedure is usually carried out under sedation administered by a qualified anaesthetist at our clinic and is completed in a single visit without a trip to hospital.

Technological advancements in the field has significantly improved the success rate and the recovery time of this procedure with most patients returning to routine activities the next day.

Bleaching a discoloured tooth after trauma

On some occasions, a bruise can develop inside a tooth after it has been traumatised (knocked), which can discolour the tooth. Tooth trauma can happen to a person of any age , but it is more common in children and teenagers. In many cases, the natural colour of the tooth will return spontaneously after a few months.

Discoloured traumatised teeth that have not resolved by themselves may require root canal therapy, after which the tooth can be bleached back to its original shade, or very close to it. This is a painless process and usually involves no more than two or three short appointments.

Sedation by qualified anaesthetists

If you are nervous about your root canal therapy, you can usually have your procedure carried out under sedation.

All of our endodontists offer treatment under “twilight” or “conscious” sedation, administered by a qualified anaesthetist in our rooms at Adelaide Endodontic Specialists.

Where appropriate, treatment can be completed in a single visit, and you can return home after a short monitored recovery period by our registered nurse without the need to visit a hospital.