Why do you need a root canal treatment?
Diseases such as pulpitis, periodontitis and tooth decay have a good chance of leading to root canal disease. The reason for this is that these diseases result in an empty cavity or depression inside the tooth, which is often filled with food particles. There, they begin to rot and because of this, infection and inflammation can begin, which in turn implies bad consequences for the teeth. With rotting, all sorts of infections and germs appear. All this leads to serious inflammation and diseases that need to be treated immediately. The cavities themselves will need to be eliminated, in order to avoid a recurrence of the problem. Thus, the cavities formed are closed with the help of filling substances.
Indications for root canal treatment
It is very important to know how the problem manifests itself and immediately seek help with diagnosis from a doctor. Referral for root canal treatment is given under these circumstances:
- Accumulation of blood in the vessels (hyperemia) and inflammation of the pulp chamber, as well as necrosis of the root canal in the presence of various symptoms and in their absence.
- Removal of the pulp chamber of the tooth for prosthetic indications.
- In the planned removal of root tissue affected by infection (resection) or an attempt to preserve the functionality of the dental unit (hemisection).
- Teeth whose root canal is insufficiently filled, more than 2 millimeters.
- In the presence of destructive changes (clinical symptoms and/or radiologic signs of periapical pathology).
- A tooth with a full seal of the filling in the cavity, but with the presence of symptoms, in particular, severe pain.
- The presence of fragments of special instruments in the cavity and the infliction of pain from them.
- Loss of dentin (the hard tissue that makes up the tooth) inside the root of the tooth.
- Swelling and discoloration of the gum, fistulas and pus formations.
- Acute pain in the tooth of a whining or throbbing character. It increases at night or with pressure.
What is included in a tooth canal treatment?
Endodontic therapy, or the treatment of the inside of a tooth, is a complex and difficult process. In addition, it can be complicated by the fact that most patients turn to a specialist too late. Usually, by that time, the infection has already invaded the jawbone, and this, in turn, makes the healing process much more difficult.
It is worth answering one of the most frequently asked questions, namely “How long does it take to root canal treatment”? In fact, it depends on the number of teeth. If one, then about half an hour. If more, then from an hour to two and a half. Also, many people are worried about such a question as “does it hurt to treat root canals”? The answer is no, since the doctor makes the patient anesthesia.
After recovery, the teeth can be filled and prosthetic. Usually, the fillings don’t fall out and the teeth last a long time. They can only break or fall out when either the bite changes (in childhood, adolescence, or old age) or when a person eats things that are not meant to be eaten, such as dried bread, bones, cartilage, and nut shells.
How are dental root canals treated?
The root canal treatment procedure itself is divided into the following steps:
- Preparatory phase. The oral cavity is treated and cleaned. Then the patient is injected with anesthesia, as the treatment itself is quite painful.
- Cleaning of the root canals of the tooth, disinfection of the tooth cavities. After the anesthetic has taken effect, the dentist cleans the root canals and removes the vascular bundle with the nerve. Next, with a special instrument (pulpoextractor), he makes a hole in the tooth getting to the cavity. The dentist disinfects the cavity with modern and sterile means. Then, the cavity is filled with various therapeutic agents to prevent inflammation from forming in the cavity.
During the last step, the doctor enlarges the hole using various small files of different diameters to remove the infected and unwanted pulp. In this way, the doctor is able to reach the focus of the infection that is invading the jawbone. Next, everything is sanitized and disinfected again.
Sometimes, after tooth canal treatment and after filling, the dentist places posts (rods made of titanium) in the root canal cavity. They are placed and fixed in those teeth that have been severely damaged and lost a lot of hard tissue) for a more even fixation of the crowns placed a little later. In this way, their use strengthens the tooth, which has been deprived of a large amount of dense substances.
After the necessary cleaning and disinfection of the treated teeth, the doctors fill the cavity of the tooth with a special material.
The teeth treated with this method are permanently “closed” from various infections and microorganisms. It is important to know that a quality procedure allows you to forget about the problem for many years.
It is worth remembering that the treatment of teeth without filling is simply impossible, because then, the reappearance of the problem is possible.
Doctor’s recommendations
After root canal treatment, there may be some pain associated with the mechanical work of the tooth while eating. This is absolutely normal, because when the effect of anesthesia passes, the body begins to react to the artificial intervention in the cavity of the tooth. To reduce discomfort, it is recommended to use pain pills. They can be of different strength, depending on how severe the pain is.
A fairly common question asked is “What do you rinse your teeth with after root canal treatment”? After the procedure, you should rinse your teeth with a rinse agent and brush them at least twice a day with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
If there is swelling after surgery, it is a good idea to apply something cold to the outside of the cheek where the tooth was treated for a while. However, if the pain does not go away or becomes worse within a few days, you should see a dentist immediately to avoid complications.
