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Root Canal Treatment

Saving a tooth that's been damaged by deep decay or infection. Done properly, with specialist equipment as standard, so the tooth lasts. Modern root canals are nothing like their reputation.
Book Your Appointment

Root Canal Treatment

Saving a tooth that's been damaged by deep decay or infection. Done properly, with specialist equipment as standard, so the tooth lasts. Modern root canals are nothing like their reputation.
Book Your Appointment

What Root Canal Treatment Is

Inside every tooth is a soft tissue called the pulp - nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue running through the canals in each root. If decay reaches the pulp, or if the pulp is damaged by trauma, it can become infected and die. Without treatment the infection spreads and the tooth eventually has to come out.
Root canal treatment removes the infected pulp, cleans and disinfects the canals inside the roots, and seals them with a specialist filling material. The aim is to keep your own natural tooth, which is almost always better than any replacement option we have. Done well, a root-treated tooth can last decades. Often the rest of your life.
The reputation root canals have is from years ago. Modern technique - specialist files, rubber dam isolation, electronic depth detection - has made the treatment far more predictable and far more comfortable than it used to be. Most patients tell us afterwards that it was nothing like they expected.

Who Root Canal Treatment Is For:

  • Patients with persistent toothache, especially throbbing or pain on biting
  • People with an abscess or swelling around a tooth
  • Patients whose tooth has died after trauma
  • Anyone with deep decay that's reached or affected the nerve
  • Patients told their tooth needs root canal treatment elsewhere who want a second opinion

Problems Root Canal Treatment Solves:

  • Severe toothache from an infected nerve
  • Dental abscess (pus pocket at the root tip)
  • A "dead" or discolouration tooth from trauma
  • An infected tooth that would otherwise have to come out
  • Tooth pain that keeps coming back after fillings
  • The need to lose a tooth that could still be saved

Better Than Losing the Tooth

Root canal treatment is almost always a better option than extraction. Your own tooth - even root-treated - generally outperforms any replacement. We'll always try to save where saving is realistic.
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Real Patient Results

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How Root Canal Treatment
Works at Tangmere

1

Diagnosis and Planning

We confirm the tooth needs root canal treatment with an X-ray and clinical examination. We explain what's involved, the cost, the alternatives (usually extraction), and the long-term outlook for the tooth. You make the decision with all the information.

2

Numbing and Rubber Dam Isolation

The tooth is properly numbed. A thin rubber sheet (rubber dam) is then fitted to isolate just the tooth being treated. This keeps the canal sterile during the work, stops disinfectants going where they shouldn't, and protects the rest of your mouth. Rubber dam is essential for modern root canal treatment - we use it as standard.

3

Accessing and Cleaning the Canals

A small opening is made in the top of the tooth. Very fine specialist files clean down the length of each root canal. Electronic depth detectors measure exactly how deep each canal goes, so the cleaning is complete but doesn't go past the root tip.

4

Disinfecting

Strong disinfectants are introduced into the canals throughout the cleaning process. These kill the bacteria responsible for the infection. Modern disinfection is the main reason root canal treatment has become so reliable - bacteria-free canals stay healthy.

5

Sealing the Canals

Once fully cleaned and dried, the canals are filled with a specialist material that seals them against any future infection. An X-ray confirms the filling has reached the tip of each root. The opening at the top of the tooth is then sealed with a temporary or permanent filling.

6

Crown to Protect the Tooth (Where Needed)

Root-treated teeth go brittle over time and can crack if not protected, especially back teeth. We'll often recommend a crown (Cerec or traditional) to protect the tooth long-term. We'll talk you through whether this is needed for your specific case.
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What Makes Tangmere Dental Care Different

Advanced Technology, Natural Approach

We invest in the most modern dental systems — Cerec, magnification, digital imaging — while keeping our care grounded in prevention and the maintenance of health.

Same-Day Crowns & Restorations

Our Cerec system creates solid porcelain crowns, inlays and veneers in a single visit — no impressions, no temporaries, no return appointment needed.

Accessible, Purpose-Built Facility

Ground-floor practice with disabled access, free parking, disabled spaces, and high-capacity dental chairs (up to 29 stone). Easy access from Chichester, Arundel, Bognor Regis and Portsmouth.

Prevention-Led, Long-Term Care

Our focus is on stopping problems before they start. From advanced diagnostics like the Florida gum probe to drill-free options where suitable, we plan care around protecting your health for decades.
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Treatment Fees & Combined Medical Plan

We believe in transparent pricing and flexible payment options to make quality private dental care accessible. Our fees are clearly explained before treatment begins, and we offer membership plans to help you spread the cost of routine care.

Treatment Fees

Click below to view our full fee scale across general, cosmetic, restorative and orthodontic care.
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Combined Medical Plan

Spread the cost of routine care with our combined dental and healthcare membership plan.
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Frequently Asked Questions About
Root Canal Treatment

No. The tooth is properly numbed before any work begins. Most patients describe it as feeling no different to a normal filling - you may feel pressure or vibration, but no pain. The reputation root canals have for being painful is genuinely out of date.

Usually because decay has reached the nerve, or the nerve has been damaged by trauma, an old filling or a crack. The nerve becomes infected, which causes pain and (over time) an abscess. Once the nerve is infected, the only ways to deal with it are root canal treatment or extraction.

For straightforward cases, one appointment of around 60-90 minutes. For more complex cases (multiple canals in back teeth, or re-treatment of a previous root canal), it may take two visits.

Often a lifetime. The biggest risk is the tooth fracturing rather than the root filling itself failing, which is why we usually recommend protecting back-tooth root canals with a crown. Front teeth often don't need a crown and last just as well.

Almost always, yes. Your own natural tooth - even root-treated - is generally a better long-term outcome than any replacement option. Once you've lost a tooth, the bone where it used to be slowly disappears, and the neighbouring teeth start to drift. Keeping the original tooth avoids all of that.

It keeps the canal sterile during treatment, stops the strong disinfectants we use from going anywhere except inside the tooth, and protects the rest of your mouth. Modern root canal treatment relies on a bacteria-free environment - without rubber dam the success rate drops significantly. We use it as standard.

It's rare but it happens. The first option is usually re-treatment - we go back in, identify what was missed, and re-clean the canals. Some cases benefit from a specialist endodontist with a microscope, in which case we'll refer. Where re-treatment doesn't work, the final option is extraction and replacement with an implant or bridge.

It can, particularly for front teeth. Internal bleaching is an option to lighten a darkened root-treated tooth without crowning it. We can talk you through this if discoloration becomes an issue.
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Tangmere Dental Care

  • Tangmere Dental Care, Chichester, West Sussex

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Tangmere Dental Care is a private dental practice combining advanced technology with prevention-led, holistic care. Our mission is to help patients across West Sussex maintain healthy, durable smiles for life.
Treatments
General Dentistry Cosmetic Dentistry Restorative Dentistry Orthodontics Emergency Dentistry
Opening Hours
Monday: 9am – 5pm
Tuesday: 9am – 7pm
Wednesday: 9am – 5pm
Thursday: 9am – 5pm
Friday: 9am – 4pm
Saturday: Mornings by arrangement
Sunday: Closed
Contact Details
Malcolm Rd, Tangmere, Chichester PO20 2HS, UK
01243 775545 smile@tangmeredental.co.uk
Copyright © Tangmere Dental Care is a part of the TDMP Group Ltd
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