Once in a while, your dentist might inform you that you need to have a root canal procedure done. In truth, this is one of those dental terms that few patients like to hear. You might have heard all sorts of horror stories related to the root canal, and it’s probably not something you particularly look forward to. Nonetheless, it is a pretty standard practice, and because it is so commonplace it’s generally not something you need to worry about too much.

 

That being said, it’s always good to be as well-informed as possible when it comes to anything of this sort. So let’s take a look at everything you might need to know about root canal procedures, to help prepare you.

What Is A Root Canal?

Root canal treatment is one type of endodontic treatment – that is, treatment concerning the inside of the tooth. You probably know already a little about the outside of a tooth – the enamel – but inside is a different story altogether. Under the enamel and under a further layer called the dentin is a soft tissue-like part of the tooth: the pulp. This consists of blood vessels, connective tissue and nerves and creates the hard tissues of the tooth.

 

As you can imagine, this pulp is therefore extremely important to the development and growth of the tooth. But when a tooth is mature and fully grown, it doesn’t strictly need the pulp anymore. This is good news if it becomes infected, and that’s where the procedure of a root canal treatment comes in.

 

Essentially, the purpose of a root canal treatment is to eliminate bacteria from an infected root canal, which helps to save the natural tooth and make it healthy again. The infected pulp is removed, the inside of the tooth is cleaned and disinfected, and then it is sealed back up again, thus saving your tooth from having to be extracted.

What Happens During Root Canal Treatment?

So what can you expect when you are having root canal treatment done? Although a lot of people are worried about it, actually it is a very regular and routine procedure, one that your dentist has likely done many, many times in the past. Plus, despite what many people believe, getting a root canal treatment done is actually relatively painless. It is also extremely effective, and ensures that you can get back to full functionality with your teeth in no time.

 

In the first stage of root canal treatment, your dentist will likely take a series of x-rays of the affected tooth, so that they can build a clear picture of what needs doing and how far advanced the problem is. Generally, root canals are carried out under local anaesthetic, so the pain is greatly reduced and you might not even feel anything at all.

 

Then the endodontist will remove the pulp in question, by opening up the crown of the tooth and getting in there to remove the infected pulp. Then they will clean the whole inside of the tooth and ensure that it is disinfected. All of this might take several hours, and you might need to have it done over several visits. Then the tooth will be sealed and fixed back up – this in particular will probably happen at a subsequent visit.

When Is A Root Canal Treatment Necessary?

You will need a root canal treatment when you have an infection in your tooth. That can happen for many reasons. It might be that you have had a leaky filling, which is then allowing bacteria to enter the tooth. Or it could be as a result of tooth decay, which therefore brings in bacteria and causes an infection. Sometimes, it can also be caused by some kind of trauma – for instance, you might have had a fall, and that could have cracked open the tooth and caused it to become infected.

 

Whatever the underlying cause, you will likely know that you need a root canal treatment soon enough, because it is likely to be quite painful. Indeed, this is one of the quickest causes of someone taking an emergency visit to their dentist.

How Do You Know If You Need A Root Canal?

As with anything to do with your teeth, you should always rely on your dentist or your endodontist to tell you if you need any work done. But there are some clear signs that you should look out for too, to help you determine whether you might need a root canal. These include:

 

• Severe pain while chewing or biting.
• Pimples on your gums.
• A chipped or cracked tooth.
• High sensitivity to hot or cold, or both.
• Swollen gums.
• Tender gums.
• Darkening of the gums.
• Obvious decay of the gums.

 

If you develop any of these symptoms, especially if you develop more than one at a time, you should go and see your dentist or endodontist immediately. They will be able to tell you whether you might need root canal treatment, or whether the problem is something else altogether.

How Successful Is Root Canal Treatment?

Of course, it’s always important to know how likely any treatment is to succeed before going into it, as that can help you to know what you are going into and figure out whether or not it is truly worth it. As it happens, root canal treatment is more often than not very successful in saving the tooth in question, with around 9 out of 10 root canal treated teeth surviving for a further 8 to 10 years.

 

As ever, you can ensure that your teeth are going to last longer and the treatment is therefore more effective by keeping on top of your dental hygiene. Keep your treated tooth clean, and it has a much greater chance of surviving for much longer. The prognosis will also depend on how much of the natural tooth there still is, and how much you bite down on that tooth.

 

However, it’s important to remember that even if an infection does return, you can always have the procedure carried out again where necessary further down the line. In this way, multiple repeated procedures are known to be very effective indeed.

Root Canal Treatment Recovery

You might need to have further x-rays and check ups after the treatment – your dentist will confirm this with you at the time. It might be that you need to get further treatment at some point too, so bear in mind that this does sometimes happen. The most important thing is to take care of your teeth after the treatment, including brushing twice a day, using mouthwash if your dentist has recommended it, using floss, and avoiding smoking. You should also avoid sugary snacks as much as possible, and continue to go and get your regular dentist check-ups too.

Endodontic Retreatment Explained

As we have just alluded to, sometimes it may be necessary to have your root canal treated tooth treated again. This is known as endodontic retreatment, and it is a whole process in its own right, and something that you might want to know more about. Teeth that you have looked after properly can last your whole life even if they have had root canal treatment, but this is not always the case. However, sometimes a tooth can become reinfected and painful again, months or even years later after your initial root canal treatment. If your tooth fails to heal or it develops new problems, you might want to look into the possibility of having endodontic retreatment carried out.

 

There are many reasons why the initial treatment might not have taken properly, including:

 

• Canals were not treated fully.
• An over-complicated anatomy was not detected initially.
• Replacement of the crown was unexpectedly delayed.
• Salivary contamination occurred after the fact.
• New decay exposed the root.
• Cracked or broken fillings.
• Tooth sustains a fracture.

 

If any of this happens, it might be necessary to have an endodontic retreatment process carried out to help ensure the future health of the tooth in question. So, what actually happens during that procedure?

 

1. The endodontist discusses your treatment options with you. If you both decide on retreatment, then they will reopen your tooth and gain access to the internal tooth’s filling, which might include the removal of previously installed restorative materials such as crowns and core material.
2. Once the canal filling is removed, your endodontist will get to work on cleaning the canals again, and then can examine the inside of the canals properly, perhaps using magnification and illumination tools along the way to make it easier. They will be hoping to discover or uncover what possible problems caused the first treatment to fail.
3. Then, your endodontist will be able to fill and seal the canals, placing a temporary filling in the tooth in the meantime. It might be that at this point, they recommend endodontic surgery – for instance, if a canal is particularly blocked or narrow.
4. Once this retreatment process is finished, you will need to return to the dentist as soon as possible in order to have a new crown fitted or some other kind of restoration, to allow the tooth to repair normally.

Root Canal Microsurgery Apicoectomy

As we have said, it might be the case that your endodontist recommends that you have surgery carried out on the tooth. If you do, you will almost certainly have microsurgery done, which is known as an apicoectomy. Generally, an apicoectomy is going to be recommended when it is highly likely that normal treatment will simply damage the tooth further. In this kind of surgery, rather than going in from the crown of the tooth, the endodontist surgeon will approach it from below the gum margin. This usually needs to be carried out by a fully trained endodontist with two years further specialist training in the area.

 

The procedure is generally as follows:

 

1. First of all, your dentist will carry out the usual routine checks and background history checks. They might ask you if you have had any recent sinus infections, and whether you are on any medication that might be relevant. They might prescribe you antibiotics before the procedure itself takes place.
2. You will usually be administered with local anesthesia on the day, or if you are particularly anxious or nervous, they might offer you the option of undertaking iv sedation instead.
3. Either way, the surgeon then makes a small incision under the gum margin, approaching the tooth from the side or bottom, depending. The infected area is removed, and there might be a biocompatible filling replaced for the time being too. Then the gum incision is sutured back together.
4. All being well, the whole procedure should take around 1 to 2 hours, with the molars generally taking longer than the front teeth.

Microsurgery Recovery

Something that many people worry about is how much this kind of procedure might affect their ordinary waking life. But this kind of microsurgery is not going to interrupt your day to day living too much. In fact, you will generally be able to return to work the very next day, unless there are any rare complications. Full recovery will likely take around two weeks, however, and it will take a few months for the jaw bone to completely grow back around the tooth.

Complications

With any of these procedures, as with any kind of medical treatment at all, there is always the possibility for complications. However, the likelihood of these is much reduced if you make a point of taking care of your teeth after the procedure, and if you continue to do that as best as you can looking forward. You will also have fewer complications if you use a dentist and endodontist who you trust, and who are known to be leaders in their field. It is always important to try and find the best for your dental procedure and that is Grand Parkway Smiles.