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Root Canal
What is a Root Canal?
Underneath your tooth's outer enamel and within the dentin is an area of soft tissue called the pulp, which carries the tooth's nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue. Root canals are very small, thin divisions that branch off from the top pulp chamber down to the tip of the root. A tooth has at least one but no more than four root canals.
Why do I feel pain?
When the pulp becomes infected due to a deep cavity or fracture that allows bacteria to seep in, or it gets injured due to trauma, it can die. Damaged or dead pulp causes increased blood flow and cellular activity, and pressure cannot be relieved from inside the tooth. Pain in the tooth is commonly felt when biting down, chewing on it and applying hot or cold foods and drinks.
Why do I need root canal therapy?
Root canal therapy is necessary because the tooth will not heal by itself. Without treatment, the infection will spread, bone around the tooth will begin to degenerate, and the tooth may fall out. Pain usually worsens until one is forced to seek emergency dental attention. The only alternative is usually extraction of the tooth, which can cause surrounding teeth to shift crookedly, resulting in a bad bite. Though an extraction is cheaper, the space left behind will require an implant or a bridge, which can be more expensive than root canal therapy. If you have the choice, it's always best to keep your original teeth.
What is a root canal procedure?
A root canal is a procedure done to save the damaged or dead pulp in the root canal of the tooth by cleaning out the diseased pulp and reshaping the canal. The canal is filled with a rubberlike substance called gutta-percha or another material to prevent recontamination of the tooth. The tooth is then permanently sealed, with possibly a post and/or a crown made of porcelain or metal alloy. This enables patients to keep the original tooth.
What is involved in root canal therapy?
Once Dr. Cris performs tests on the tooth and recommends therapy, he or she can perform the treatment or refer you to an endodontist (a pulp specialist). Treatment usually involves one to three appointments.
First, you will be given a local anesthetic to numb the area. Next, an opening is made from the crown into the pulp chamber (where the infected nerve is), which, along with the root canal, is cleaned of all diseased pulp and reshaped.
Medication is inserted into the area to fight bacteria. Depending on the condition of the tooth, the crown may then be sealed temporarily to guard against recontamination, the tooth may be left open to drain, or Dr. may go right ahead and fill the canals.
If you're given a temporary filling, usually on the next visit it's removed and the pulp chamber and canal(s) are filled with gutta-percha or another material to prevent recontamination. If the tooth is still weak, a metal post may be inserted above the canal filling to reinforce the tooth. Once filled, the area is permanently sealed. Finally, a gold or porcelain crown is normally placed over the tooth to strengthen its structure and improve appearance.
What are the risks and complications?
More than 95 percent of root canal treatments are successful. However, sometimes a procedure needs to be redone due to diseased canal offshoots that went unnoticed or the fracture of a filing instrument, both of which rarely occur. Occasionally, a root canal therapy will fail altogether, marked by a return of pain.
What happens after treatment?
Natural tissue inflammation may cause discomfort for a few days, which can be controlled by an over-the-counter analgesic. A follow-up exam can monitor tissue healing. From this point on, brush and floss regularly, and avoid chewing hard foods with the treated tooth. Once the tooth is symptom free, you will need to return to have the tooth fitted for a crown.
Root Canal Treatment
Benefits
Root canal treatment aims to create an end result where the tissue surrounding the root will continue to be healthy despite the degenerative changes that were undergone by the tooth root.
Root canal treatment provides the bulk of the clean up work for the body by removing bacteria and tissue irritants that are present inside the tooth.
Who is this procedure for?
Patients whose tooth nerve tissue has started to degenerate
Patients with teeth that are causing pain
Patients with recurring pimples on their gums
Patients who experience the exposure of a tooth nerve
Patients with acute tooth abscess.
What happens before the procedure?
Root canal treatment is only performed on numbed teeth. This helps ease the pain and the patient is more relaxed. Once the tooth is numbed, the dentist stretches a sheet of rubber around the tooth. It acts like a dam that keeps the saliva uncontaminated with bacteria while the procedure is being performed.
What happens during the procedure?
The dentist then uses a drill to gain access to the area inside the tooth where the nerve is. A hole is made inside the tooth, down to the pulp chamber. Next, the dentist cleans the pulp chamber and all root canals using instruments that look like small pins – the “root canal files”. The dentist uses the root canal files in an up – and – down twisting motion. This scrapes and scrubs the root canal, cleaning it of debris and bacteria. Periodically the dentist also washes out the tooth to flush away the remaining debris.
Once the tooth is cleaned the dentist uses root canal filling material to fill in and seal up the interior. Some dentists choose to do this on the same day as the root canal treatment, while others choose to wait for about a week. In this case they will use a temporary filling to keep contaminates out until the permanent filling is placed.
What happens after the procedure?
It is very likely that patients will feel their teeth a bit tender after the procedure. Sensitivity is minimized by the use of analgesic and anti – inflammatory medicine. The dentist will instruct the patients on how to chew on the treated teeth.