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What is Root Canal Treatment

 

Root canal treatment is performed when tooth decay, or what is commonly referred to as a cavity, reaches the central part of the tooth (pulp) due to factors causing decay. The tooth’s nerve becomes infected and contaminated by the activity of oral microbes.

In such circumstances, intense pain usually occurs in the affected tooth area, and the only way to save the tooth and alleviate the pain is through a Root Canal Treatment.

When is Root Canal Treatment Needed?

Various factors can lead to nerve involvement and damage in a tooth, for example:

  1. Trauma (sudden impact or injury to the tooth)
  2. Deep decay
  3. Decay reaching the nerve canals within the tooth’s crown
  4. Development of cracks or fractures

Signs indicating a tooth’s potential need for root canal treatment include:

1. Intense, throbbing toothache
2. Toothache not relieved by over-the-counter painkillers
3. Swelling
4. Tooth fracture
5. Loosening of the tooth
6. Pain while chewing food
7. Presence of a deep cavity in the tooth’s crown
8. Extreme sensitivity to cold and heat

If any of these symptoms occur, it’s important to consult your dentist to assess the tooth’s condition and determine the necessary treatment.

 

How is Root Canal Treatment Done?

  • Anesthesia:

    Root canal treatment is performed under local anesthesia to ensure that the patient doesn’t feel pain during the procedure.

  • Initial preparation:

    To begin the root canal treatment, the dentist removes decayed parts of the tooth’s crown using a tool called a turbine. Then, access is created to the tooth’s canal(s).

  • Nerve extraction:

    Next, the living tissue within the canal, which is the tooth’s nerve, is completely removed from the tooth.

    Preparation of the tooth’s canal:

    After the canal is fully cleared, the tooth is disinfected using specialized materials, and the canals are shaped.

  • Root filling:

    In this step, the tooth’s root is filled with a specialized material called gutta-percha to prevent microbe penetration into the root.

    Crown restoration:

  • After completing the root canal treatment, the parts of the tooth’s crown that were lost need to be restored using dental restoration materials or laboratory techniques, depending on the tooth’s condition.

 Is Root Canal Treatment Painful?

The root canal treatment process, as mentioned earlier, is performed using local anesthesia, which means there is no sensation of pain during the procedure. In cases where an active infection has spread into the nerve and surrounding tissues of the tooth, there might be a delay in the effectiveness of the anesthesia.

Is pain normal after a root canal treatment?

The tissue around the tooth needs several days to heal, so it’s possible to experience some pain or discomfort after completing the root canal treatment. If the pain is managed with anti-inflammatory medication and reduces in intensity over time, there’s usually no cause for concern. Typically, mild pain after a nerve treatment is natural and can last around 10 to 14 days if it’s tolerable.

How is Tooth Crown Restoration Done After Root Canal Treatment?

There are three methods for restoring lost parts of a tooth’s crown:

1. Restoration using amalgam materials
2. Restoration using tooth-colored materials (composite)
3. Laboratory-made restorations

These options are available for rebuilding the lost portions of the tooth. If more than fifty percent of the tooth’s crown is missing, it’s recommended to use laboratory-made restorations to ensure the tooth’s structural integrity.

 

Does a Root Canal Treated Tooth Need a Crown?

Naturally, a treated tooth doesn’t have the same strength as a natural tooth when it comes to bearing pressure.

In cases where a significant portion of the tooth has been lost due to decay, it’s recommended to proceed with placing a crown immediately after the root canal treatment.

However, if the tooth’s crown is relatively healthy, there is the possibility to delay the crown restoration treatment.

 

Is a Crown Resistant to Decay?

A crown helps increase the tooth’s resistance to pressure during chewing, preventing damage to the crown while eating. Decay-causing factors do not directly affect the crown’s material, and they won’t cause damage to it. However, it’s important to note that a crown cannot prevent the occurrence of new tooth decay, as microbes can potentially penetrate the tooth’s structure from the surrounding area. Therefore, regular dental flossing and brushing, as well as meticulous care, especially around the crowned teeth, are necessary.

What are the Consequences of Delaying Root Canal Treatment?

When tooth decay is left untreated in its early stages, the tooth’s nerve becomes infected. If under such conditions, root canal treatment is not performed or is delayed, the possibility of losing the tooth exists.

The sooner decay and root canal treatment are addressed, the longer the treated tooth’s lifespan will be, and the treatment can be done with less cost and time. However, as time passes, the tooth’s structure becomes more compromised and gradually deteriorates. In such cases, more complex and multiple treatments are required to preserve the natural tooth, which demands more cost.

How many years is the lifespan of a root canal treatment?

There’s no precise answer to how long a root canal treatment will last. The lifespan of each treatment varies based on the initial condition of the tooth, the quality of the treatment, oral and dental hygiene, and the patient’s post-treatment care.

What is re-root canal treatment?

Sometimes, even after a few years, the feeling of pain in a treated tooth might not have subsided, or severe pain might occur again after a while. In such situations, there is a possibility of needing re-root canal treatment. During this treatment, the tooth’s root is cleaned again, and the steps of re-performing root canal treatment are taken.

 

Factors like

  • recurrent tooth decay
  • the formation of cracks and fractures in the tooth’s crown
  • the presence of extra canals
  • curved and bent roots
  • microbe penetration into the root during treatment
  • and incomplete filling of the roots

 are common reasons that lead to the need for a tooth’s re-root canal treatment.