Talk to our Toorak team about your treatment options.
Root Canal Treatment in Toorak
Gentle, effective treatment to save your natural tooth
Our experienced Toorak dentist team performs gentle, precise root canal treatment in Toorak designed to relieve pain, remove infection, and preserve your natural tooth.
Root canal or extraction?
Root canal treatment in Toorak may be recommended when the soft tissue inside a tooth, called the pulp, which contains nerves and blood vessels, becomes infected or badly inflamed. This can happen through deep decay, a crack or an injury. At Toorak Village Dental Care, root canal treatment may remove the infected pulp and, if suitable, allow you to keep the tooth.
Removing the tooth is the main alternative. Keeping your natural tooth helps maintain your bite and avoids the need to replace the gap with an implant, bridge or denture. However, not every tooth can be saved, for example if it's cracked below the gum or there isn't enough healthy tooth left. Before root canal treatment in Toorak, we'll explain both options, their costs and their likely outcomes.
Signs you may need a root canal
✓A lingering toothache
One that lingers or wakes you at night.
✓Hot or cold sensitivity
That stays after the food or drink is gone.
✓Pain when biting
✓Swelling
Or a pimple-like spot on the gum near the tooth.
✓A darkened tooth
A tooth that has darkened after an injury.
Sometimes there are no symptoms, and the problem is found on an x-ray at a check-up.
Root canal treatment in Toorak: what happens
Root canal treatment in Toorak usually takes two or more appointments.
Diagnosis
We examine the tooth and take x-rays to confirm the problem and see the shape of the roots.
Cleaning the canals
With the tooth numbed and a rubber dam in place to keep it clean and dry, we remove the infected pulp and clean and shape the canals.
Medicating
A medicated dressing is usually placed inside the tooth and sealed with a temporary filling while the tooth settles.
Filling the canals
At a later visit, the canals are filled and sealed.
Restoring the tooth
Back teeth are often weaker after treatment and may need a crown to protect them from cracking. We'll advise what suits your tooth.
If a tooth has very complex roots, we may recommend referral to an endodontist, a dentist who is registered as a specialist in root canal treatment.
Cost of root canal treatment
The cost of root canal treatment in Toorak depends on the tooth (front teeth have fewer canals than molars), the number of visits and whether a crown is needed. We'll give you an itemised quote before you start.
We accept all private health funds, and you can claim on the spot with HICAPS. Payment plans through HUMM and DentiCare are available for approved applicants.
After your treatment
After root canal treatment in Toorak, it's normal for the tooth to feel tender for a few days. Over-the-counter pain relief usually helps. Avoid chewing hard food on the tooth until it has its final filling or crown. Call us if you have swelling or pain that gets worse.
Risks and success
Root canal treatment can often save a tooth, but it doesn't work in every case. A tooth may need retreatment or removal later if infection returns or the tooth cracks. Other risks include a broken instrument in the canal or a canal that can't be fully treated, which we'd discuss with you before starting root canal treatment in Toorak. Read more about root canal treatment at healthdirect.
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
More about root canal treatment in Toorak
Root canal therapy, also called endodontic treatment, aims to remove inflamed or infected tissue from inside a tooth so the tooth can be kept.
What the pulp does
Inside each tooth is the pulp, a soft tissue with nerves and blood vessels that runs from the crown down through the roots in narrow channels called canals. The pulp helps a tooth develop, but a fully formed adult tooth can keep working without it, because it's supported by the surrounding gum and bone. That's why a tooth can often be kept after the pulp is removed.
Why a tooth becomes infected
Bacteria can reach the pulp through deep decay, a crack, a leaking filling or an injury. The pulp can become inflamed and, if it's not treated, infected. Over time the infection can spread to the bone at the tip of the root and form an abscess. Antibiotics alone don't usually fix an infected tooth, because the source of the infection is inside the tooth.
If the tooth has had root canal therapy before
Sometimes a tooth that has already had root canal treatment develops problems again, for example if bacteria get back in through a crack or a leaking crown. Options may include retreating the canals, a minor surgical procedure at the root tip, or removing the tooth. We'll explain the pros and cons of each, and we may recommend referral to an endodontist.
Will my tooth look different?
A tooth that has had root canal treatment can sometimes darken over time, especially a front tooth after an injury. If this happens, options such as internal bleaching, bonding, a veneer or a crown can be discussed. On back teeth, a crown is often recommended to protect the tooth from cracking.
What to expect at each visit
At the first visit, we numb the tooth, place a rubber dam to keep it clean and dry, then remove the inflamed or infected pulp and start cleaning the canals. A medicated dressing and a temporary filling go in between visits. At a later visit, once the tooth has settled, the canals are filled and sealed. The tooth then needs a permanent filling or crown to protect it.
Between visits of root canal therapy, avoid chewing hard food on the tooth, as the temporary filling isn't as strong as the final restoration. If the temporary filling comes out, or you notice new swelling, call us.
Looking after a treated tooth
A tooth that has had root canal treatment can still decay and the gum around it can still develop disease. Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, clean between your teeth and keep up regular check-ups. We may take x-rays at future visits to check that the bone around the root is healing.
To book root canal treatment in Toorak or an assessment of a painful tooth, call (03) 9827 5633 or book online. Our clinic is at 137 Canterbury Road, Toorak VIC 3142. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks, and we'll explain the risks that apply to your tooth before you decide.
Root canal FAQs
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New and returning patients welcome at our Toorak clinic.
