Root Canal Treatment Save Your Natural Tooth
Root canal treatment saves teeth with advanced decay or infection. Under local anesthesia, the root canal is cleaned and filled. Root canal treatment is a restoration method used to save teeth that are severely decayed or infected. If tooth decay is not treated in time and reaches the dentin under the enamel and then the pulp tissue, it causes inflammation of the nerves in this area.
This inflammatory condition causes the person to experience severe toothache. At this point, the nerve tissue inside the tooth must be removed. With the removal of the nerve, the person's pain decreases and disappears. If the nerve is not removed, the inflammatory condition may spread and cause inflammation in the surrounding tissues of the tooth, leading to an abscess. In these cases, if it is not too advanced, the condition can be corrected with root canal treatment; however, if the inflammation is very advanced and has caused a lot of destruction in the surrounding tissues, the tooth may need to be extracted.
Why is Root Canal Treatment Performed?
There are various reasons for an inflammatory process to start in the inner areas of the teeth where the nerve tissue called the pulp is located. These reasons include deep cavities, cracks or fractures in the tooth that destroy the dental pulp and cause it to become inflamed.
If the nerve tissue called the pulp tissue of the tooth is damaged, destruction begins in this tissue and bacteria colonize the root canal, starting the inflammatory process. When this inflammatory process comes out of the root tip, it can cause a tooth abscess. A tooth abscess creates pain in the root canal and can cause swelling in the mouth, face and neck area, bone loss around the tooth root and abscess drainage problems from various areas.
An abscessed tooth is a condition that significantly reduces the person's quality of life and it is important to resolve it as soon as possible. Abscessed teeth significantly reduce sleep quality because they sometimes cause severe pain at night. By performing root canal treatment, problems such as hot-cold sensitivity, swelling, pain during chewing, gum swelling and discoloration that develop in the teeth in this condition can be solved.
How is Root Canal Treatment Performed?
Root canal treatment can be performed by a dentist or an endodontist (Root Canal Treatment Specialist). An endodontist is a dentist who specializes in the treatment, causes, diagnosis and prevention of dental pulp, diseases and injuries.
For root canal treatment, first an X-ray is taken to clarify the root canal treatment diagnosis. In some cases, if deemed necessary, a tomography is taken to determine the shape of the root canal and to determine whether there is an infection. After the decision for root canal treatment is made, the relevant tooth and the surrounding area are numbed with local anesthesia.
In the next stage, root canals are opened and the colonized bacteria and decayed nerve tissue inside are removed. The entire area up to the end of the root canal is cleaned by filing with special tools and washed using various drugs suitable for the canal. After the cleaning and washing process is finished, these areas are filled with materials suitable for expansion and the treatment is completed by restoring the crown part of the tooth appropriately with filling, onlay, inlay or crowns.
How Long Does Root Canal Treatment Take?
The process of root canal treatment varies depending on the condition of the tooth and the infection. However, on average, the root canal treatment of a tooth takes between 30-90 minutes. In some cases, the treatment may not be finished in a single session depending on the infection and abscess in the tooth.
Full completion of root canal treatment occurs when the restoration of the tooth (filling, inlay, onlay, crown etc.) is completed. If the restoration is not completed in the same session, chewing on the tooth should be avoided until it is completed. Along with this, normal dental care (tooth brushing, flossing-interdental care) should be continued.
In Which Cases is Root Canal Treatment Applied?
The most common reason for root canal treatment is deep cavities. However, in the presence of pulp tissue infected due to cracks or fractures, it is also necessary to apply root canal treatment. In some cases, some damage may develop in the nerves of the teeth due to trauma. And these situations can cause problems such as pain and abscess in the tooth.
Will There Be Pain After Root Canal Treatment?
Actually, the possibility of pain after root canal treatment is very low. Symptoms such as sensitivity that occur after a filling may occur. This discomfort felt is due to the infection and abscess already present in the tooth.
In some cases, some antibiotics and painkillers for use after treatment may be prescribed. Using these drugs according to the doctor's suggestion will help you have a more comfortable post-treatment process.
Things to Consider After Root Canal Treatment
Root canal treatment used to be known as a painful treatment in the past, but nowadays it is much more comfortable.
What is the Lifespan of Root Canal Treatment?
A tooth with proper restoration after root canal treatment can remain in the mouth for a lifetime and continue its function. In short, root canal treatment does not have a duration. It can be used for many years like a normal tooth depending on the person's care and regular professional cleaning.
The biggest disadvantage of the tooth that has undergone root canal treatment is that it is more prone to fracture because the rate of inorganic structure increases; however, modern filling materials are very durable.
How Can Root Canal Treatment Be Prevented?
Preventing the pulp of the tooth from being infected can be primarily by preventing the progression of caries. In other words, keeping oral hygiene at maximum is the most important point. Using a mouth guard in sports is also highly effective in preventing traumas.