A root filling is provided when the nerve in the tooth is irreversibly damaged, or dead.

A tooth has a nerve and blood supply in health, this enters the tip(s) of the root(s), runs up its length in narrow canals, to form a central pulp chamber in the middle.

This can be damaged by decay (caries), or by trauma such as being hit in the mouth
by a ball.

If the tooth loses this live tissue, then a space is left in the pulp chamber and canals, where bacteria can thrive.

The tooth often darkens in colour at this time, and may well develop an abscess, with
pressure building around the root tips causing acute pain.

When we root treat a tooth, we access the pulp chamber through the top of the tooth,
and widen the root canals down the length of the roots. This allows us to clean the canals with specialised rotary instruments and small files.

We use chemicals to reduce the bacterial population in the canals, and ultimately fill the canal system (usually with a form of rubber), and then seal over the top to prevent re-infection.

It is often necessary to provide a crown shortly after this procedure to prevent fracturing the tooth.