Root Canal Treatment
Root canal treatment is the process of removing the nerves of damaged or infected teeth due to deep caries, trauma, disinfecting the tooth roots and filling them with tissue-friendly materials. Infection in damaged and infected tooth roots without root canal treatment may progress over time and cause tooth loss and damage to the jawbone.
In which situations is root canal therapy applied?
Although deep caries are the main reasons that require root canal treatment;
- Recurrent caries under old fillings or porcelain veneers
- Crown/root fractures caused by an acute trauma such as a impact or fallked
- Pain and sensitivities that do not go away after fillings or coatings
- Damage to the tooth due to chronic trauma such as clenching, grinding or chewing plane disorders.
- Cyst operations
- Hypersensitivity after gingival diseases or gingival operations
- The possibility of damage to the adjacent teeth during the extraction of wisdom teeth
can be considered as a cause of root canal treatment. In addition, during the veneering of crooked teeth, root canal treatment may be required.
What can be the complaints in teeth that need root canal treatment?
- Throbbing pains that increase mostly at night and are not affected by painkillers.
- Pain that starts with hot, cold or tooth-to-tooth contact and lasts for a long time
- Swelling in the gingiva at the level of the tooth roots (sometimes these swellings may be accompanied by swelling of the related lymph nodes)
- Acne-like fistulas and abscesses on the gingiva
- Pain that starts in the tooth without any stimulus
- Dark color changes in teeth (such as red-blue-purple)
Sometimes none of these complaints can be seen in teeth that have lost their vitality. However, this does not mean that root canal treatment is not required.
How is root canal treatment done?
In teeth anesthetized with local anesthesia, first of all, the blood-nerve package, which we call pulp, is removed. Then the root canals are cleaned and shaped. After this process, the root canals are washed with a disinfectant liquid and dried, and then sealed with tissue-friendly materials. After the root canal fillings are completed, the teeth are reshaped with composite fillings and the loss of substance in the tooth is eliminated.
Is root canal treatment a painful procedure?
Since the teeth are anesthetized during root canal treatment, there is no pain during the procedure. After the procedure, depending on the infection in the tooth, tenderness and mild pains may be seen in chewing for a while, but these pains will not be unstoppable with painkillers.
Can a root canal treated tooth hurt afterwards?
With root canal treatment, the nerves of the teeth are removed. Since there is no nerve conduction in the tooth after a successful treatment, the tooth is not affected by external factors and pain is not felt. However, in cases where the treatment is unsuccessful, problems such as pain and swelling may occur in the teeth again.
In what cases does root canal treatment fail?
Although root canal treatments are mostly successful, because of;
• the root canals are not cleaned well enough,
• there are side channels different from normal in the root and they cannot be cleaned because they cannot be detected.
• undetected cracks on the root surface
• failure to seal root canals
• persistent infections
there is a possibility of failure.
How long does root canal treatment take?
Root canal treatment can be completed in a single session in vital teeth that are not infected yet. In infected teeth that have lost their vitality, which we call devital, several sessions may be required depending on the healing of the infection. Between these sessions, drugs to cure the infection are applied to the roots of the teeth.
Is it necessary to use antibiotics for root canal treatment?
Antibiotic use is not required in patients who do not have a general health problem unless acute infections are observed. Antibiotic use before root canal treatment may be required as a precaution in patients with systemic diseases such as heart or diabetes or using immunosuppressive drugs.
It is also possible for your doctor to support your treatment with antibiotics in cases of persistent infections.
How long can we use a root canal treated tooth?
We can use a tooth with a successful root canal treatment for a lifetime as long as we follow the oral and dental health rules. If the loss of substance in the tooth is low, the tooth is reshaped with composite fillings after root canal treatment. In cases where the loss of this material is high, it may be necessary to support the tooth root with fiber posts and cover with porcelain or zirconia crowns.
Does root canal treatment change the color of the tooth?
Previously, color changes could be observed after the treatment due to the content of the canal filling materials. However, these color changes can be prevented thanks to new systems and drugs.