ROOT CANAL TREATMENT
Is a very delicate procedure of opening the tooth center (pulp) to gain access to the nerve in pulp chamber and root canals and replace it with a filling.
The tooth & root center (Pulp) in normal teeth contain delicate tissue comprising mainly of blood vessels and nerves. If for any reason the pulp becomes damaged beyond repair, root canal treatment is necessary.
- What may cause damage to the pulp?
• Decay (main cause of damage)
• Trauma
• Cracked tooth
• There is deposition of tooth structure (dentin) in the root canal, e.g. under deep filling or with aging.
- The signs that might indicate you have an affected pulp is:
• Throbbing continuous pain
• Pain occurs simultaneously
• When pain arises (e.g. cold & hot drinks) it lasts for a few minute to hours & may spread to ear & head
• Difficulty in identifying the problem tooth in some cases
- Swelling
The dentist must examine the tooth prior to root canal treatment and determine if root canal can be done or if it is worth saving the tooth in the first place. Sometimes the tooth may be badly broken down that root canal can be done but not possible to place a filling or a crown.
- Root canal treatment can be divided into three main steps:
1. Removing the bulk of the affected pulp
2. Shaping the canals for the filling
3. Placing the root canal filling
All three steps can be done in one visit or more depending on the difficulty and status of the tooth.
Some pain is expected after each visit of root canal treatment, that is normally controlled by regular pain killers like Panadol, Ponstan...etc. The pain should gradually reduce with the first 3 days. If not please contact your dentist.
It is common practice to place a cotton and temporary filling between visits. This prevent the temporary filling to close the opening of the canals. If the filling falls out please visit your dentist to place a new filling. Please do not go around with no filling this may introduce bacteria & debris inside the tooth and eventually develop an infection.
After root canal treatment you must have a filling done with a crown. Your dentist should advise you what you need to restore the tooth and when to do it.