How successful is root canal therapy?
The actual root treatment is about 95% successful. However, where there is a crack in the tooth which is not completely immobilized, a further 10% of those root treated teeth will get continuing pain when the tooth is bitten on, or sometimes pushed from the side. This is due to the crack movement irritating the tissues around the tooth know as the periodontal ligament. There is no treatment other than extraction for these rare cases. If you end up losing the tooth there are several options for replacement – an implant into the bone which supports the new tooth; a conventional bridge (caps on the teeth on either side of the gap, fused to a false tooth resting just above the gum); a Maryland bridge (like the conventional bridge but with special metal wings instead of crowns – but not universally applicable) or a partial denture. The advantages and disadvantages of each of these are discussed in other Patient Education Literature. © 2000 Erskine Dental – All rights reserved.
