Root canal treatment and 6-step treatment process

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Root canal treatment is designed to eliminate bacteria from the infected root canal, prevent reinfection of the tooth and save the natural tooth. When one undergoes a root canal, the inflamed or infected pulp is removed and the inside of the tooth is carefully cleaned and disinfected, then filled and sealed.

Definition

A root canal treatment (endodontics) refers to a dental process used to treat the damaged area at the center of a tooth.

It involves establishing a hole in the tooth and removing the dental pulp, or diseased tissue, from the root canal system (composed of tissue, nerves, and blood vessels and extends into the roots of the tooth). The pulp is removed, the root canal is filled, and the tooth is protected with a filling or crown.

Root canal therapy can be performed by a dentist or a specialist endodontist.

How painful is having a root canal treatment? What is the alternative to a root canal? How long do root canals last?

Importance of Root Canal Treatment in Saving a Tooth

Preserving Natural Teeth

Preserving natural teeth is invaluable due to their essential functions, visual appeal, and impact on oral health. Each tooth plays a crucial role in chewing, speech, and maintaining proper alignment. Opting for root canal treatment helps maintain the functionality of natural teeth by preventing the need for extraction, which can lead to complications such as bone loss and shifting of neighboring teeth.

Addressing Infection and Alleviating Pain

Root canal treatment becomes necessary when the dental pulp inside a tooth becomes infected or inflamed due to factors like deep decay, cracks, or trauma. By removing the infected pulp and cleaning the root canals, root canal treatment effectively eliminates the source of infection, providing relief from pain and discomfort experienced by the patient.

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Preventing Further Complications

Neglecting a dental infection or choosing extraction over root canal treatment can result in severe consequences. If left untreated, the infection can spread to surrounding tissues, leading to abscesses, bone loss, and potential systemic health issues. By saving the natural tooth with root canal treatment, these potential complications can be avoided, promoting both oral and systemic health.

Restoring Functionality and Appearance

Following root canal treatment, the tooth is restored using a dental crown or filling, depending on the extent of damage. This restoration not only strengthens the tooth but also restores its natural appearance, ensuring proper functionality and preserving the aesthetics of your smile. The outcome is a natural-looking tooth that seamlessly blends with the rest of your teeth.

Tooth structure

A tooth is composed of two components. The part of the tooth that is visible to the naked eye called the crown. The tooth is held in place by the root, which attaches to the jawbone.

The tooth also consists of:

Enamel – the hard outer coating
Dentine – a softer layer that places under the enamel
Cementum – a hard material that covers the root’s surface
Dental pulp – the soft part at the core of the tooth

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Causes of tooth infection

The tooth infection or damage may result from gum disease, dental decay, repeated movements, fractured fillings, or other factors.

At the middle of the tooth, germs can begin to develop and spread when the dental pulp is weakened. This may result in an infection or an abscess, which is a pus-filled pocket that develops at the tooth root.

Symptoms

In some cases, there are no signs of the tooth abscess during the first stages. Most common symptoms include:

Pain when biting or chewing
Pain when eating or drinking hot or cold food and drink
Darkening of the tooth

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Swollen and tender gums
Pus around an infected tooth
A swollen cheek or jaw
A loose tooth

These symptoms frequently go away as the bacteria grow and destroy the pulp. If you keep the infected tooth in your mouth at that point, it might worsen. Therefore, a visit to the dentist is required.

It will be harder to do the root canal treatment if the infection inside your tooth becomes established.

Benefits of Root Canal Treatment Compared to Tooth Extraction

The primary benefit of undergoing a root canal is that it preserves your natural tooth, eliminating the need for extensive and expensive restorative treatments like bridges or implants to replace it. On the other hand, an extraction involves completely removing the tooth and its attachment from the socket. While extraction effectively resolves pain and infection, there are notable drawbacks to consider.

One major downside is that you will need to address the empty space left by the extracted tooth to maintain proper bite alignment. If not addressed, the gap can cause neighboring teeth to shift, affecting your ability to chew and impacting your smile. Replacing the missing tooth will require additional visits, potentially involving multiple dental specialists and other procedures like bone grafts or sinus lifts

See more: See more: Toothache and 3 ways to relieve it

Furthermore, opting for an extraction can be more costly compared to undergoing a root canal followed by a single tooth restoration. In most cases, choosing a root canal procedure tends to be less expensive and allows you to retain your natural tooth, which offers a more authentic look, feel, and functionality.

Lastly, an extraction is a more involved procedure and often leads to greater discomfort than a root canal.

Treatment process

First, the dentist takes an X-ray of the tooth to determine the condition of the root canals and whether there is any infection in the bone surrounding the tooth.

The patient will get a local anesthetic to numb the region around the affected tooth before receiving root canal therapy. The germs will then be eliminated by the dentist drilling a hole into the tooth’s root. According to the tooth, each canal can range from 1 to 4. It will be cleaned, shaped, and sterilized throughout the canals.

The dentist needs to clean and shape the hole within over the course of several scheduled appointments. The dentist will seal the tooth with a temporary filling and secure it with a metal band before placing a sterile filling.

When the treatment is done, the hole will be covered with gutta percha, a permanent substance. To reinforce the tooth, they may insert a supportive stick into the root canals.

Because the procedure of the root canal treatment takes longer than a normal filling, it may be annoying and interfering. But after root canal treatment, a tooth can last for more than 10 years.

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Recovery

It’s important to look after your teeth when recovering from root canal treatment.

During recovery time, it’s crucial to take good care of your teeth by:

Avoid eating hard food until the treatment is finished.
Keep your teeth clean.

Don’t eat too much sweet and spicy food.
Stop smoking.
Search for ways to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

Q&A

How painful is having a root canal treatment?

A root canal is typically thought of being a painful, unpleasant, and severe procedure. But it is relatively different from the reality. Actually, the procedure is painless and the most effective technique to immediately get rid of the discomfort and infected tooth.

How long do root canals last?

This study found that 86 percent of root canal treatments last 10 years and longer, 92 percent last 5 years and 98 percent last one year. Molars treated by endodontists had a much greater 10-year survival rate than those treated by conventional dentists.

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Is it painful after root canal treatment?

A successful root canal may be followed by minor pain for a few days. As long as you maintain appropriate dental hygiene, this is only a temporary condition that should go away on its own. If the discomfort persists after three days, make an appointment with your dentist for a follow-up procedure.

Should I get a root canal treatment or tooth extraction?

When treating an infected tooth, root canal therapy is preferred to extraction. However, there are certain exceptions, as when the tooth has severe damage. Your dentist will do a full assessment of your dental health before making a suggestion.

Do I need to worry about a root canal treatment?

Although a root canal, sometimes referred to as an endodontic procedure, is a risky surgical procedure, doctors perform them often.

What is the alternative to a root canal treatment?

Direct pulp capping, pulpotomy, pulpectomy, endodontic surgery, retreatment, tooth extraction, dental implants, bridges, or dentures are a few alternatives to root canal therapy in dentistry.

Below is an article that Lang moi shares for you, if you have any questions that need to be answered, don’t be hesitate to contact us!

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Bedental – A reputable denal clinic

Advantages of Be Dental Clinic:

A team of highly specialized, skilled, experienced, and passionate dentists.
State-of-the-art dental equipment imported from abroad, certified as safe by the Ministry of Health.
A 5-star facility that provides customers with a relaxed and trustworthy environment for premium dental services.
The clinic maintains strict sterilization procedures to prevent cross-infection during patient treatment.
Diverse oral care services at affordable prices, tailored to the needs of customers.

Services provided by Be Dental Clinic:

Dental Implants: Dentium implants, Tekka implants, Osstem implants, Humana implants, bone grafting, sinus lifting.
Dental Crowns: Veneers, Venus crowns, HT Smile, Emax, Cercon, Lava 3M, Roland, Lisi Press, diamond crowns.
Orthodontics: Metal braces, ceramic braces, Invisalign clear aligners, lingual braces.
Treatment for various dental conditions: Wisdom tooth extraction, impacted tooth, root canal treatment, dental fillings, gap closure, teeth whitening, dental scaling, overbite correction, tooth reshaping, gaps between teeth.

At Be Dental Clinic, our goal is to provide comprehensive dental care with a focus on quality, safety, and patient satisfaction