The term root canal comes from the word cleaning of the root of teeth that are badly damaged from the core and needs to be replaced.
In earlier times root canal was a procedure that was quite painful and most people dreaded doing it.
But with the advancement in dental procedures root canal has become a very convenient procedure to be carried out and is done by a medical practitioner in the most hygienic conditions.
In fact, if you are someone who is suffering from this condition it is always better to get the root canal done rather than undergo the pain of a decayed tooth.
There are a lot of alternatives available to the extraction of a damaged tooth such as replacing the tooth with a dental implant or removing partial dentures.
Root canal treatment in Thippasandra is an alternative that you may have to exercise when the center part of the tooth which is also known as the Pulp that houses the blood vessels, connecting tissues, and nerves becomes inflamed and swelling occurs around it.
The procedure is usually carried out by Periodontics or a specialist in root canals.
The procedure is performed in order to save a badly damaged tooth rather than directly extracting it.
There are some very common causes of tooth damage that lead to a root canal.
You may suffer from some infection or cavity that occurs due to the accumulation of plaque, there may be cracked or damaged tooth because of some accident or injury, and also repeated treatment of the tooth that is unable to get better.
These recurring issues may lead to the inflammation of the pulp and the nerves connecting it and damage it permanently.
Due to this problem, an individual may experience excruciating pain in the tooth area and when it becomes unbearable the doctor's assistance may be required.
The pain usually subsides once the pulp dies but if the infection spreads then there is no option but to get a root canal done.
In this condition, it is always advisable to visit a dentist at the earliest if you have slight pain in your tooth or gums.
There are certain guidelines to be followed post-treatment that can help you keep against the recurrence of this condition.
It is a must to take the prescribed antibiotics as given by your medical practitioner to that the pain can be eased out.
Most importantly, maintain good oral hygiene that involves regular brushing as well as flossing of teeth.
It is advisable that you must keep away from eating or drinking for at least a few hours after your root canal treatment is done.
The treated area is usually numb for 1st one time and you may accidentally cause yourself some harm.
Once the numbness wears off, you can get back to eating normally.
Try to avoid crunchy and hard-to-eat food for a few days after you have undergone your root canal treatment.
If the root canal procedure involves a temporary filling then there are chances that the filling may wear off in between your visits to the dentist.
Do consult your dentist at the earliest in case the filling wears off completely.
All human beings are provided with different types of teeth and each type of these teeth is meant to perform a specific function or job. The types of teeth and also their functions are briefly given below.
In general, teeth are useful for chewing, biting, tearing and ripping food items. In addition they give a good cosmetic look and are also necessary for speaking clearly.
Losing any of the teeth will cause reduction in the functions mentioned above and it is essential that tooth are kept intact as far as possible. One of the methods of saving teeth is Root Canal Treatment.
A human tooth can broadly be divided into two parts i.e. crown and root. The crown consists of – enamel, dentin and pulp chamber; on the other hand the root section of the tooth consists of – root canal containing pulp tissue, bone, supporting ligament, root end opening etc. The soft pulp under the hard dentin layer contains blood vessels and nerves. If the tooth is fully matured, it will survive without the pulp because of the nourishment given by the surrounding tissues.
The root canal treatment is a dental procedure wherein the tooth can be fixed by removing the pulp chamber of the tooth and filling it with an apt filler material. This is normally done when the tooth can neither be filled nor restored by any other means and this is due to the fact that the decay has reached the tooth nerve or the tooth has become infected.
You can prevent extraction of the tooth by performing the root canal treatment on the tooth whose nerve has been killed or severely decayed or damaged and this is the final attempt to save the tooth prior to extraction. If the RCT is successful, all the germs in the root area would have been removed and this tooth can last for a very long time.
The root canal treatment is known by various names – RCT, endodontic treatment, Root canal or Root canal therapy. The origin of the word endodontic is from two Greek words “Endo” – meaning inside – and “odont” meaning tooth”. This treatment is basically meant for treating the inside of the tooth.
The root canal treatment becomes essential if the pulp tissue inside the root canal gets inflamed or infected thereby affecting the blood / nerve supply to the pulp. This can be due to various reasons such as deep decay, crack or chip in the tooth and also if dental procedures on the tooth are repeated often. If there is injury to the tooth it could cause damage to the pulp in spite of not having any visible cracks. An untreated pulp inflammation or infection might lead to pain or abscess. You may not feel any pain in the early stages of the infection. In some cases, your tooth could become dark thereby indicating that the tooth nerve is dead
If the pulp becomes infected, the infection spreads through the root canal system of the tooth thereby causing abscess formation. The abscess might cause dull ache to severe pain and you will observe that the tooth shows tenderness while biting. In the absence of a root canal treatment (RCT) the infection will spread resulting in tooth loss.
The objective of this treatment is to remove all infection from the root canal. The Endodontist removes the infected or inflamed pulp, cleans it thoroughly inside and fills up the space with approved filler material to prevent any further infection. The dentist will place a crown or any other restoration on the tooth to protect it. RCT is a skilled and time-consuming procedure and requires two or more visits to your dentist.
The steps involved are as follows:
The purpose of root canal treatment is to relieve the tooth pain caused by pulp infection or inflammation. During the procedure a local anesthetic is given and the patient seldom feels any pain. Your tooth becomes sensitive for the first few days after treatment, that too if there was pain or infection before the procedure. This can be relieved with OTC or prescription medications. After the treatment your treated teeth might feel different for sometime.
In the earlier days a root canal treated tooth often becomes dark. However, modern techniques prevent such an occurrence. Even if the discoloration happens it can be brought to natural color by using various techniques.
Normally RCT is successful in most of the cases. However, in the event of this problem coming back the same treatment can be repeated. New infection or inflammation can be caused by new trauma, deep decay, or a loose/ cracked/ broken filling, which can cause new infection in your tooth. In some cases, the endodontist may find canals that are narrow or curved that was not found during the initial procedure and this requires retreatment.
Infection or inflammation destroys the pulp in the pulp chamber and hence it won’t heal. It is not desirable to leave the infected tooth inside the mouth. Pain and swelling can occur if the infected pulp is not removed and the byproducts of the infection could injure your jaw bones. If you do not get RCT done then the alternative is to extract your tooth. It is always advisable to retain your natural teeth as long as possible.
The tooth treated by RCT requires the same care as your natural tooth. However, this tooth should not be used for chewing or biting until unless it is restored by your dentist; this is due to the fact that this tooth is susceptible to fracture. In addition you must practice good oral hygiene that includes brushing with fluoride paste, flossing, cleanings etc. Avoid sugary snacks as much as possible.
Normally most of the teeth can be treated; however there could be certain occasions wherein it is not possible for doing RCT; for example, inaccessibility of root canals, severely fractured tooth, inadequate bone support etc. With advancement in endodontics such incidences are becoming rare. If the RCT is ineffective endodontic surgery could help in saving the teeth.
In the US, 20 million root canals are being performed in a year and it is increasing day by day. By subjecting a patient to root canal treatment you are allowing a dead tooth to be kept in his mouth. The body normally does not like anything dead to be kept inside it and tries its best to get rid of it.
Saving tooth by RCT is a matter of dental convenience and it has been found to be relatively safe in most of the cases.