Root canal treatment (endodontic)
We present answers to frequent asked questions.
What is endodontic (root canal) treatment?
Endodontic treatment is a treatment of the tooth pulp, i.e. richly innervated and vascularised tissue filling the tooth cavity, which nourishes the tooth and plays a sensory role. In the case of deep caries, leaking filling, injury or overloading in the occlusion, tooth nerve inflammation occurs, which is manifested by severe pain. Endodontic treatment is based on two procedures. The first is a conservative treatment, i.e. saving the living pulp. The second one, used in case of advanced disease process, is the removal of the changed inflammation of the tooth tissue.
What are the symptoms of pulp diseases?
- tooth pain to the touch,
- hypersensitivity to cold or heat,
- tooth stains,
- enlargement of the lymph nodes,
- pain in the gums and tissues adjacent to the tooth
What is the course of root canal (endodontic) treatment?.
After the medical interview, i.e. the interview with the patient, the doctor performs the examinations necessary to make a proper diagnosis: visual examination (presence of cavities and fillings, gum appearance, tooth colour), physical examination (sensitivity to padding), examination of the pulp (sensitivity to low temperature), X-ray examination or, possibly, evaluation of pictures from the previous treatment.
The choice of endodontic treatment depends on how advanced the disease process is in the dentin, pulp and periapical tissues.
This treatment is performed under local anaesthesia. It involves chemical and mechanical root canal preparation to remove diseased tissue, clean the canals and prepare them for filling. The next step is to tightly fill the canals with gutta-percha (a kind of resin).
The last stage is to rebuild the tooth crown by filling it with light-curing agents or by making a crown and root post, on which a prosthetic crown is placed. The necessary X-ray images are taken during the treatment.
What are the advantages of endodontic treatment?
The biggest advantage of endodontic treatment is saving the tooth and prolonging its proper functioning for many years. Although it is a very complicated method of treatment, it is worth taking advantage of the chance to save the tooth.
If the tooth is not treated at the right time, the inflammation may spread even to the patient's entire body. If you start treatment too late, you may lose your tooth. Its absence is not only an aesthetic problem. The remaining teeth lose their support and begin to move. Lack of even a single tooth can cause serious malocclusion and bone defects.
When is the endodontic re-treatment performed?
Endodontic re-treatment is more complicated than primary treatment. It is required when the tooth after root canal treatment causes pain, when the canals are not filled up the whole length, when the changes in the bone around the roots do not heal in spite of the primary treatment.
It involves removing the content of the channels, their precise processing and their tight filling.
When is the reconstruction of a tooth on glass fibre made?
Teeth after root canal treatment are weakened due to significant loss of own tissue. This is due to caries, injury and the need for a doctor to have access to the tooth chamber. Often, in order to rebuild a tooth effectively and permanently, it is necessary to first cement the glass fibre, which will strengthen the entire structure.
What is the purpose of X-ray imaging of a tooth during root canal treatment?
X-ray images are an indispensable element of root canal treatment. They make it possible to assess the state of the bone around the roots, the number, course, width and degree of curvature of the root canals. They are also performed at the end of the treatment in order to assess the correctness of the canal filling.
The images allow to assess whether periapical lesions heal or increase and whether surgical intervention is necessary.
X-ray images also show caries. They can detect caries that are not visible to the naked eye, e.g. on contact surfaces. They are used to assess the tightness of the filling as well as to diagnose fractures and resorption.