Canal treatment, also known as endodontic treatment, refers to removing the damaged or infected pulp (pulp) of a tooth, disinfecting the tooth, and then re-sealing it with a filling. The pulp, located in the innermost part of the tooth, can be thought of as a soft core. In the pulp extending to the root tip of the teeth; contains nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue. In cases where the tooth cracks as a result of an impact or a deep decay occurs, bacteria enter the pulp and begin to multiply there. If this condition is left untreated, the bacteria can cause a serious infection or dental abscess, leading to bone or tooth loss along with pulp death. In such a case, root canal treatment is applied to the cracked or decayed tooth to save the tooth.
In which cases should root canal treatment be applied?
The main situations that require root canal treatment are deep caries and cracks in the dental bone. In cases where the tooth is too damaged to heal, the pulp is removed to protect the tooth. Therefore, the biggest advantage of root canal treatment is to save the dead tooth and not lose the bone structure of the tooth. Some symptoms of conditions requiring root canal treatment can be listed as follows:
- Swelling on face and neck
- Permanent tooth sensitivity, especially to hot or cold
- Pain when chewing or biting
- Pimple-like wound formation on the gums
- Cracked teeth
- Swelling of the gums
- Referred toothache
- Deep bruises
- Darkened gums
How is Root Canal Treatment Done?
Root treatment; It has four main purposes: eliminating decay and infection, shaping the tooth canals, filling the canals and making the tooth functional again. Depending on the condition of the tooth, treatment may take one or two sessions. Although the procedure followed during the root canal treatment varies depending on the tooth damage, it generally includes the following steps:
- The dentist takes an x-ray to see the root structure of the tooth and determine if there are any signs of infection. Thus, the damage to the tooth is evaluated and it is decided whether root canal treatment is needed.
- If the dental pulp is very damaged, root canal treatment is started.
- If there is severe pain due to abscess formation in the tooth, local anesthesia is applied before the treatment.
- The first step of root canal treatment is to carefully remove the pulp inside the tooth. After the pulp is removed, the dentist determines how long the procedure in the root canal will take.
- Root canals are reshaped and cleaned using appropriately sized apparatus.
- One session of root canal treatment takes approximately 45 minutes on average. After the necessary procedures are performed, the tooth is x-rayed at least twice. If the dentist thinks that the treatment is successful, he fills the canal with a permanent material after the disinfection process to prevent the canals from being affected by contamination.
- Dentists may wait for the tooth to heal for 4-5 days before performing a permanent filling procedure. In this case, the tooth cavity is closed with a temporary filling.
- In the next session, the temporary filling of the tooth is removed with a painless procedure and the permanent filling is applied. Permanent filling process; It is performed with dental paste and a rubber-based substance called gutta percha. Calcium hydroxide based pastes prevent any external leakage into the root canal.