Skip to main content
Latest News

Treating a Complex Root Canal

By July 22, 2024No Comments

At the Root Canal Dental Centre in Richmond, we pride ourselves on providing exceptional care for complex dental issues. And this month, we’re thrilled to share a recent clinical case completed by our in-house endodontic specialist, Dr Nicolai Orsteen, that will be featured in the June/July issue of Clinical Dentistry.

A Complex Endodontic Case

A young male patient was referred to our dental practice in Richmond, due to severe pain in the upper left section of his mouth. Despite having good oral health overall, the patient had some decay and existing fillings.

However, upon clinical examination, Dr Orsteen found the patients upper premolar to be sensitive to touch and cold stimulus, indicating symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. This is a painful inflammatory condition of the dental pulp or the innermost part of the tooth that contains the nerves and blood vessels.

Assessment and Diagnosis

Dr Orsteen’s thorough assessment of the patient included a periapical X-ray, which is a type of scan that focuses on capturing the entire tooth structure including the root tip and surrounding bone!

The patient’s x-ray seen here suggested a high probability of the tooth having THREE root canals—which is rare to see and quite a challenging anatomical feature to treat. The rest of the patients periodontal – or gum – health was in good condition, so Dr Orsteen’s primary concern was to address this one affected premolar. 

Treatment Options

Dr Orsteen discussed three potential treatment options with the patient:

  1. Root canal treatment
  2. Extraction
  3. No treatment with continued monitoring

As you can imagine, the patient was keen to alleviate the pain they were experiencing; however, they also wanted to preserve the tooth, so root canal treatment was the preferred option.

The Treatment Process

To ensure a pain-free experience for the patient, a local anaesthetic was administered by Dr Orsteen, to numb the tooth and surrounding area. The affected tooth was cleaned and dried before Dr Orsteen gently accessed the inside of the tooth, ensuring to preserve as much of the dentine as possible. The below radiograph shows the patients dentition during the treatment process.

After thorough cleaning, the three root canals were sealed and a temporary glass ionomer filling was placed. Satisfied with this successful outcome, Dr Orsteen then referred the patient back to their general dental practitioner for the final tooth restoration.

Successful, Pain-Free Root Canal Treatment

As can be seen in the below radiograph, the patient’s treatment was a resounding success! They reported complete relief from any pain and was extremely satisfied with the care they received at our endodontic dental centre in Richmond.

If you too are experiencing dental pain or have been told you require a root canal, get in touch with our endodontic specialists today!

Schedule a consultation with Dr Nicolai Orsteen at the Root Canal Referral Centre for a pain-free, healthy smile.