Endodontic treatment is also known as root canal treatment.

Inside the tooth's hard outer layers, there is an area called the pulp or nerve. This can become damaged due to decay, deep cavities or injury. The damage usually results in painful inflammation or infection of the pulp. When this occurs, root canal treatment is the only way of saving the tooth and permanently relieving pain and infection.

Root canal treatment involves cleaning the infected or damaged pulp tissue from inside the tooth and replacing it with a permanent filling material called gutta percha. The treatment can often be done in one session, or occasionally multiple visits.

There are some scenarios where a general dentist may struggle to complete root canal treatment or their treatment may be unsuccessful (infection remains). These include:

• Blocked root canals
• Curved root canals
• Unable to locate root canals
• Instruments breaking within the root canal
• Root damage during treatment
• Unexplained pain

In these scenarios your dentist may refer you to an 'Endodontist' who is a specialist in root canal treatment. At Brigstock Dental Practice & Implant Centre, Dr Kreena Patel is our specialist endodontist who accepts referrals from practices all over South London.

She has completed a Master's degree (MClinDent Endo) in Endodontics at Kings College London and published prominent research in the worlds leading endodontic journals.

Excellent patient care and a pleasant experience are of upmost importance to us. We have a dedicated room, fitted with the latest equipment which is used to deliver our endodontic care. Our specialist endodontic treatment is carried out using a state-of the-art Zeiss microscope, which allows superior visualisation of the complex root canal anatomy. Often there are 'additional' root canals which are found using a microscope and these are all sources of bacteria which could lead to future infections or failed treatment if not found.

Endodontic treatment has a high success rate. It is also usually more cost-effective than having the tooth extracted and replaced with an artificial tooth. Even if previous root canal has failed, it is possible in many cases to re-do the treatment with a successful outcome, rather than having the tooth extracted. It is often thought that it is simple to replace teeth with the increasingly popular dental implants, but one must bear in mind that these do not have a 100% success rate, have a limited life span, never feel as good as a natural tooth and are more expensive than saving the original tooth.

After the root canal treatment, you will be referred back to your dentist for a crown to protect the tooth if necessary.

Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. You can book a consultation with Kreena online (via the appointments tab on the main menu) or by calling the practice on 0208 689 6171.

Kreena Patel: Profile

follow my latest work @kreenaspecialistendodontics

Kreena is a Specialist in Endodontics. She graduated from the University of Manchester, with Honours. During this time she was awarded the Pitt-Ford prize by the British Endodontic Society.

Kreena then worked in general practice and carried out further hospital training in Oral Surgery, Paedodontics and Restorative dentistry. Further to this, she worked at Kingston Hospital for two years treating patients with complex endodontic problems referred by local dentists. She also held a similar post in Paedodontics at St Helier Hospital treating anxious children, and feels committed to making nervous patients feel at ease and comfortable throughout their dental procedures.

Kreena completed her specialist training in Endodontics at Kings College London, where she qualified with distinction. She is passionate about her work and enjoys the technical precision involved in the field of Endodontics and Endodontic Surgery.

Kreena is also keen on improving the field of Endodontics and her research has been published in several international journals. She taught on the Specialist Endodontics Programme at Guy’s Dental Hospital (King’s College London) as a senior clinical teacher between 2016 - 2021.

Kreena currently works at Brigstock Dental Practice (South London) & Oaktree Dental Practice (Berkshire). She continues to enjoy teaching and regularly lectures and delivers courses in Endodontics. She also writes a monthly column called 'The Endo Expert' for dentistry.co.uk. You can also follow her endodontic educational content on Facebook and Instagram @kreenaspecialistendodontics.

Kreena was named Young Dentist of the Year - South and overall National Young Dentist of the Year at The Dental Awards 2019.

GDC number: 193025