Root canal treatment is an often straightforward procedure that can be done in a dental clinic to relieve dental pain.
Patients typically need a root canal treatment when there is inflammation or infection in the roots of a tooth.
There’s no need to be worried if your dentist or endodontist prescribes a root canal procedure to treat a damaged or diseased tooth. Millions of teeth are treated and saved this way each year, relieving pain and making teeth healthy again with revolutionary dental care.
Inside your tooth, beneath the white enamel and a hard layer called dentin, is a soft tissue called pulp.
This tissue contains blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue, which help grow the root of your tooth during its development.
A fully developed tooth can survive without the pulp because the tooth continues to be nourished by the tissues surrounding it.
Modern endodontic treatment is nothing like those old sayings! It’s very similar to a routine filling and can usually be completed in one or two appointments, depending on the condition of your tooth and your personal circumstances.
Getting a root canal is relatively painless and extremely effective. You’ll be back to smiling, biting and chewing with ease in no time.
Saving the natural tooth with root canal treatment has many advantages:
Efficient chewing
Normal biting force and sensation
Natural appearance
Protects other teeth from excessive wear or strain
Steps In a Root Canal Procedure :
Gaining Access to the Canal and extirpation of the pulp tissue
Determining Length of the root canal/s
Biomechanical preparation of root canal/s and proper irrigation and debridement.
Sealing of the root canals
Proper post-operative restoration of the tooth/teeth
Many people worry that a root canal will be painful, something that was true in the past. Today, with advanced anesthesia options and surgical techniques – a root canal is as comfortable as getting a filling. An infected tooth (pre-root canal), is usually what causes tooth pain, and a root canal is a solution to this problem. In fact, infected tooth pulp can cause a tooth abscess and can destroy the bone surrounding the tooth. A treated and restored tooth can last a lifetime with proper care. Root canals have a high success rate and are significantly less expensive than the alternative, tooth extraction and replacement with a bridge or implant. But tooth decay can still occur in treated teeth, so good oral hygiene and regular dental exams are necessary to prevent further problems. To determine the success or failure of root canal treatment, dentists typically compare new X-rays with those taken prior to treatment. This comparison will show whether bone continues to be lost or is being regenerated. Sometimes root canals are not successful because an infection develops inside the tooth, or the original infection was not fully removed. In these cases, an apicoectomy, a procedure where the infection and the root tip are removed and a filling placed, is done. Other times a repeat root canal is recommended.