Root canal treatment aims to preserve the form and function of the natural tooth. A root canal prevents teeth from being extracted. It can be done by an endodontist ( A root canal specialist ) or a general dentist who is well versed in the procedure.
According to the American Academy of Endodontists, more than 15 million root canals are performed in a year.
To understand what is root canal treatment one needs to understand the basic structures of teeth.
When the cavity attacks the first two layers - enamel and dentin we can do filling for the teeth, when it starts invading the pulp tissue you need a root canal treatment.
Pulp tissue has blood vessels and nerves of a tooth. The blood and nervous supply of every single tooth come from a small opening at the end of the root, called the root-end opening.
Due to the cavity invading the pulp tissue, your pulp can either become dead or become infected by bacteria, in both cases one will require a root canal. an infection in the pulp can also spread to the surrounding bone/ gums.
Courtesy: AAE
Root canal treatment aims to effectively remove this dead or infected pulp which facilitates the healing of bones and gums.
Simply put root canal can be ........................ in 4 steps
#1 Getting access to the pulp tissue
To remove infection one must reach it. The pulp is the innermost and well-protected tissue of teeth. To gain access to this tissue the dentist drills your tooth. Most often we find cavities that have already damaged the tooth structure. By drilling the tooth your dentist not only gets into the pulp tissue but also removes the cavity and unwanted tooth structure, which was the reason for pulp infection/ death.
#2 Measuring the length of the tooth
Once we gained the access to pulp dentist will measure the length of the tooth. This is done so that we don't seed the infection that is already present. Since pulp tissue is present only till the root-end opening, root canal treatment must end at that point. Tooth length can be measured traditionally with the help of X-rays or in modern-day dentistry with the help of electronic devices.
#3 Cleaning the pulp tissue
Probably the most important step. To effectively disinfect the pulp your dentist uses various chemicals and small instruments called files. This procedure facilitates the decrease in bacterial load inside the pulp tissue and allows the surrounding bone and gums to heal.
#4 Filling and sealing the root canal
Once, the dentist has done a proper cleaning of your canals to prevent further infection and re-infection effective sealing of the root canal from the pulp chamber to the root-end opening is required. The dentist uses an inert material to seal the canal. Finally, the cavity in the crown of the tooth will be filled by the dentist. You may also require a crown to restore your tooth back to its form and function.
A root canal treatment is a conservative and non-surgical procedure that saves your teeth from extraction. Study shows the 10-year survival rate of root canal-treated teeth is 93%.
The 10-year survival rate of root canal-treated teeth is 93%.
Watch the video by the American Association of Endodontists which explains in detail root canal treatment.
Don't miss this blog series, I will be answering the most common questions and doubts about root canal treatment.
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