Root Canal Treatment

In Manila, Philippines, Root Canal Therapy or Endodontic Treatment

  presents the ideal solution for your toothache, particularly when your teeth suffer from deep decay, trauma, or infection.

At Smile More Dental Clinic, we offer competitive Root Canal Therapy prices that ensure affordability without compromising quality. Our skilled Endodontists and dentists can save your sore teeth and make them function again without opting for dental extraction or tooth removal. Our gentle approach ensures minimal discomfort when seeking treatment; you won’t have to worry about anything.

At Smile More Dental Clinic in Manila, our top priority is helping you save ailing and infected teeth through Root Canal Treatment. You may need Root Canal Treatment to prevent further damage when you experience signs of tooth decay, recurrent decay, leaking restorations, or tooth trauma.

Signs that Root Canal therapy might be necessary include pain while chewing and tenderness in the affected area, along with swelling. Additionally, discoloration or darkening of the gums, foul odors from one area of the mouth, and boils around the teeth can also signify a need for this therapy.

It is possible not to experience any discomfort at all. A professional dental health examination can determine if this treatment may be appropriate.

Take your time – visit us today to get the relief you deserve.

Our practice offers root canal therapies to remove the diseased or infected materials and tissues found in the internal canals of teeth. This process prevents systemic infections caused by decaying, injured, or infected teeth. After cleaning and reshaping the root canals, a dental filling (short-term solution) or a dental crown (long-term solution) will be placed to protect and restore your teeth to their original functions. Our dentists are experienced and capable of attending to your needs with these procedures quickly and efficiently.

At Smile More, we have successfully treated many teeth using Endodontic or Root Canal Treatment. To determine if Root Canal Treatment is suitable, we first examine the tooth causing discomfort. We consider factors like the lesion’s difficulty, spread, and size. We assess if it is an abscess, granuloma, or cyst. The treatment outcome may be less successful if the lesion is long-standing and stable. That’s why we advise patients to visit us before any signs of infection or discomfort arise, as it can mean the difference between retaining or losing their teeth. We also check for potential challenges like blocked root canal systems or unusually curved roots. If the tooth has an extremely weak or decayed structure or severe gum disease, Root Canal Treatment may not be possible, and tooth removal may be necessary as a last resort.

If you experience throbbing and persistent pain in the tooth, we must investigate whether the infection has reached the tooth nerve or if an abscess is at the root’s tip. Using an x-ray, we can determine the number of root canals the tooth has, such as one root for most front teeth, one or two for premolars, and mainly three for molars (or even more in some cases). The x-ray reveals the extent of dental decay that has affected the tooth. Suppose the decay has reached the pulp area (nerve portion). In that case, bacteria may have entered the root canal system.

There are cases of a lingering tooth infection. The lesion became hard and unyielding to cleansing action that root canal treatment does (ex: dental granuloma and cysts). If this happens, a surgical solution called “apicoectomy” is the subsequent management required. So, we need to carefully weigh the practical consideration of saving the tooth with worry for future reinfection (flare-up) or just removing the entire tooth and taking with it the associated infection when gone.

How Do We Perform Root Canal Treatment?

At Smile More Dental Clinic in Ermita, Manila, this is how we perform Root Canal Treatment.

1.) We will take an X-ray for the initial guide. We will excavate the decay and clean the tooth. Suppose there are damaged areas or broken tooth walls. In that case, we may need to put a build-up material or a dental filling to reconstruct the tooth for better instrumentation initially.

2.) We put the tooth to numb using local anesthesia, which helps ease the discomfort involved in doing the process.

3.) We make an “access preparation” or a hole, usually at the tooth crown’s inner surface (if treating a front tooth), to initiate root canal access without placing the entry hole on the tooth in an outward view. We prepare the access hole on the chewing surface in premolars and molars on the back teeth.

4.) Once we have established an opening or the “access prep.,” we will then explore with a hand instrument if we are right at the orifice of the root canal. We will insert a very fine instrument to feel the inside of the tooth chamber (tactile sense) before proceeding with what we call “filing” or intra-canal shaving of the Root Canal process (“Instrumentation”).

5.) Using a cleansing and disinfecting solution, we flush the dental root canal to wash away infected tissues and debris (“Irrigation”). 

6.) With the help of a device called “Apex Locator,” we will have an accurate or exacting measure of the tooth’s root tip (working length) to ensure that we won’t go beyond it.

7.) Once we established the working distance or gauge, we will continue to shave the inner canal, often aided with a special water-soluble loosening solution. This lubricant removes the blockage and permits efficient instrumentation. While we do this, expect some copious “Irrigation” (flushing of debris).

8.) We will dry the canal with a tiny absorbable material (paper point) before placing a cotton pellet and a temporary filling material on the access prep. We can dismiss the patient until the subsequent visits. We require that you come back for the completion of the Root Canal Treatment.

9.) On your return visit, we will resume with irrigation and instrumentation. When we remove the temporary filling on the orifice and check that the canal is wet or there is dripping fluid, we will continue the cleaning (canal instrumentation) and the flushing (irrigation). We will temporarily cover the access prep. and schedule your follow-through visits.  You must return and not miss your appointments because this step will ensure the disinfection process of the root canal.

10.) When you come back, and we checked that the root canal is dry (no fluid or secretion by paper point indicator), then we can plug the inside canal with a rubber-like material called “gutta-percha.” This gutta-percha will be bound together with cement or dressing and cut to remove the excess above the tooth opening (or access prep. -> see number #3 step above) 

11.) The access prep. is filled with a Permanent Filling, then a final restoration in the form of a Dental Crown is done later.

When undergoing Root Canal Therapy or Endodontic Treatment, following through with the required visits is essential to complete the entire process. Remembering your return appointments is crucial for the treatment’s success, even if the discomfort has already disappeared. Leaving the treatment incomplete could lead to potential contamination or infection.

The cost of Root Canal Service at our clinic depends on factors like the number of root canals, the complexity of the procedure, and the extent of infection seen on the x-ray. If you call us to inquire about the price, we suggest visiting us for a thorough assessment of your tooth problem rather than providing a guess. We always want to give our patients an accurate understanding of their tooth issues, especially when it calls for a root canal remedy.

Even though Root Canal Treatment has a success rate of approximately 90 to 95 percent, it is crucial to safeguard the treated tooth with a dental crown for long-term protection. After being treated, the tooth no longer has a nerve and blood supply, making it vulnerable to fractures if not properly restored.

Despite our best efforts to make Root Canal Treatment successful, there are times when flare-ups can happen. Flare-ups may include reinfection or increased bacterial activity in the treated area, which can occur months or even years after the initial treatment. If this happens, we recommend Re-Treatment or Apicoectomy, a procedure performed under Oral Surgery, to address the issue.

Dowel Post & Core

If the tooth’s crown is completely broken, you may require a Root Canal-associated treatment. This treatment becomes necessary when the tooth lacks sufficient material to support a dental crown or bridge. It involves using a screw-type material called a dowel post, securely attached inside the root canal portion using a thin adhesive. A core build-up cement material is applied to the dowel post to support the lost tooth crown. Together, this combination is known as “Dowel Post & Core.”

In some cases, we can customize them by taking an impression and having them made in a dental laboratory. However, we mostly use pre-fabricated types as they come in different sizes to fit various root canal diameters. The purpose of inserting this post is to enhance the tooth’s strength.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (for Root Canal Treatment):