Effective fight for your teeth: Introducing root canal treatment

The so-called tooth preserving treatments - as shown by their name - set own teeth’s rescue as an objective.

But why is this necessary in the world of implants and effective dental prostheses?

Because even modern science can’t reproduce human teeth.

There’s simply nothing better than our original masticatory organ and there might never be. For example, implant is a revolutionary answer for tooth loss. However, even though conscientious dentists know the above, they always fight for a tooth as long as it’s salvageable.

Root canal treatment owes its existence to this kind of insistence, since our masticatory organs fit in the denture in their perfection as well as form a unit in the process of chewing, biting and smiling.

The road that leads to root canal treatment

Because of omitted dental examinations, malnutrition and bad teeth care habits, a tooth might be damaged to such an extent that it causes intense pain.

When tooth decay gets at an advanced stage by scraping through the enamel and the dentin, it’ll sooner or later reach the dental pulp which contains blood and nerve pathways. After the pulp has been infected, there’s no way to turn the process back - thus, there’s only one treatment left to save the symptomatic tooth.

This is nothing other than the root canal treatment.

Bacteria settled in the dental pulp trigger inflammation which causes irritation in the surrounding nerves and tissues. In such a case, the problem can’t no longer be solved with medicines or even with antibiotics. It’s indispensable to clean the dental pulp in order to eliminate the symptoms.

Pulpitis - if left untreated - might generate other inconvenient symptoms in different parts of the body, for example fever and joint pain may occur.

The process of root canal treatment

Tooth is made up of hard tissues and an internal cavity system where blood vessels and nerves run. If decay reaches this cavity, pulpitis occurs - in more severe cases, the tooth might even die.

This condition is indicated by pronounced symptoms since at this point, the patient is already suffering from periodic or permanent toothache. Unfortunately a simple filling doesn’t help the situation because the problem has deeper roots - the trouble is literally at the tooth root.

During root canal treatment, we remove the dead tissues from the pulp and sterilize the area. Then, we replace the missing section with a dental filling from the root end to the top of crown.

The first meeting

Before root canal treatment, we make a thorough oral examination. Then, an accurate digital x-ray photograph is done which clearly demonstrates the condition of the diseased tooth besides the position and shape of the roots. Diagnosis is the base of the successful treatment, so our dentists pay particular attention to every tiny detail.

Following anaesthesia, we open the tooth up and clean carious cavities. After opening the pulp, we remove the nerves and the vessels using special needles.

During this painless treatment, we expand and disinfect the hole even more - this way the tooth is prepared to receive the medicated filling.

Before inserting the temporary filling, it’s necessary to precisely measure the root canals with an apex locator. This way, we can completely clean up the pulp and we can perfectly close it later on since we’ll know the exact amount of filling material that is needed for the treatment.

The medicated filling is covered with a temporary filling that will be there from 7 to 10 days, until the end of the treatment.

The reason for this is the fact that it takes the medicine a few days to affect and eliminate the inflammation on the tooth and its surrounding tissues. In more severe cases, the medication must be repeated - thus, 3-4 visits will be necessary instead of 2.

The given tooth can only be filled permanently if the inflammation is completely gone. An improperly treated tooth might cause further infections and suppuration which may lead to the extraction of the masticatory organ.

The second encounter

The following step is the removal of temporary fillings. After we have checked if the inflammation is completely gone, we prepare the root filling and finally, the tooth receives the temporary filling on the basis of an x-ray control.

Although teeth filling is a painless procedure, we always perform it under local anaesthesia.

Post treatment instructions

After your first treatment, you need to protect your tooth since the temporary medicated filling is not as strong as the permanent one will be. Don’t chew on the given tooth, don’t drink carbonated drinks and it’s also worth avoiding heavily sugared or acidic food.

After you have your permanent filling inserted, minor pain and bite sensitivity might occur for 1-2 days. All these symptoms quickly pass away as if the new tooth has always been a healthy member of your denture.

Since root canal treated teeth are not “living” teeth, they might become fragile and discoloured in time. If this happens, it’s worth inserting an implant in the root and strengthen it with a crown.

Such a well-built tooth may be aesthetic and strong, serving its owner for a long time.

Root canal treatment as an expression causes discomfort in a lot of people, but today’s modern procedures are completely painless. All you need is to have maximum trust in your dentist and patience until the complete recovery.