ROOT CANAL TREATMENT

What is Root canal treatment ?
A root canal treatment (root treatment) implies removal of the soft tissue (the pulp) within the tooth. The pulp is replaced by an artificial substance. The tooth itself remains in the jawbone and will often have to be reinforced by a crown.

The root system is different from tooth to tooth. It is very difficult to indicate how long the treatment takes and how much it is going to cost. The dentist will always need to see x-rays and examine the patient himself.

Why is Root canal beneficial ?
Here are some of the most common reasons why dentists recommend root treatment;

A. The nerve tissue is affected by cavity
Cavity in a tooth can become so extensive that it affects the pulp (often called the nerve) in the middle of the tooth. This is often very painful and a root treatment is necessary. A normal filling is not a good solution in this case, as large fillings can irritate the nerve and kill the nerve in worst case.

B. A filling has irritated the nerve
A large filling can trigger off the need for a root treatment. The filling can irritate the nerve and kill it eventually. In order to prevent inflammation, the dead tissue has to be removed. If it is not removed, inflammation can spread to the bone tissue and degenerate into an abscess, which can only be removed by surgery. The dentist will often prescribe penicillin to the patient as a supplementary treatment.

C. The tooth is damaged and the nerve is exposed
When damaging a tooth, the nerve may be exposed and cause inflammation if not treated. A displacing stroke can also destroy the tooth’s nerve leading to inflammation if the dead nerve tissue is not removed.

The advantages by having a root treatment are that:

• a root treatment prevents or eliminates the pain caused by inflamed tissue.
• a root treatment makes it possible to keep the natural tooth

The treatment and materials used

The dentist will start by examining whether the tooth is dead by using low current. If the patient does not feel anything, the nerve is dead, and the root treatment can be performed without anaesthesia. If the nerve is still living, the tooth and the surrounding area will be applied a local anaesthetic.

A. Drilling the hole
Using the drill, the dentist will make access to the pulp in order to remove the dead or inflamed tissue. On the front teeth, the hole is made on the backside of the tooth, and on the molars, it is made on the masticating surface.

B. Removal of the insides
The tissue within the tooth is removed by using rasps in different sizes. The cavity is cleansed once in a while in order to get rid of loosened material. A root often has many smaller branches and thin extensions, which can make this process time consuming. Once the tissue has been removed, the tooth is disinfected to prevent inflammation from reoccurring. The cavity is then filled with a rubber paste and the hole in the tooth is sealed.

C. Materials
The rubber paste is a special type of rubber called gutta-percha. The material comes in small sticks of different length and thickness. Once the sticks are heated, they amalgamate and fill out the empty space within the tooth. Finally, the hole is sealed off using the same material as for fillings.