Advanced Root Canal Treatment
Root canal therapy has gone high-tech recently, making the procedure as easy as possible for both patients and dentists! Thanks to recent root canal technology, teeth can now be treated without invasive dental procedure. With modern root canal instruments and advanced equipments viz. ROTARY ENDOMOTOR – X-SMART, ROTARY FILES, MAGNIFYING LOUPES, ENDOACTIVATOR PATS VARIO, RUBBER DAM, APEX LOCATOR, DIGITAL X-RAY RVG, 3D CBCT SCAN, dentists have more resources than ever to complete successful root canals, and patients can have the procedure done in just one visit — virtually pain-free!
Why Is Root Canal Treatment Needed?
If the pulp becomes infected, the infection may spread through the root canal system of the tooth. This may eventually lead to an abscess. If root canal treatment (RCT) is not carried out, the infection will spread and the tooth may need to be taken out.
When will you need to undergo root canal treatment?
Root canals are needed for deep cavity, issues from the previous filling, cracked tooth from injury or genetics, . Pulp tissues get inflamed because of these reasons or because of periapical lesions, it will get infected. And you will feel sensitivity to hot and cold sensations or severe pain.
There are few symptoms you might need a root canal treatment:
- Severe pain on chewing or biting
- Swollen or tender gums
- Deep decay or discoloration of tooth
- Cracked tooth
- Lingering sensitivity to hot or cold
Why is it necessary?
There is no need to be worried if you dentist or endodontist prescribes a root canal treatment to treat damaged tooth. Millions of teeth are treated and saved this way, each year, to relieve pain and making teeth healthy again.
Advantages of Root canal treatment:
- Relieve in pain
- Efficient chewing for food
- Normal biting force and sensation
- Natural appearance
- Protect other teeth from excessive wear or strain
Does a root canal hurt?
Since patients are given anesthesia, root canal is not more painful. It can cause mild discomfort for few days
Can I go to the work after getting root canal treatment?
Although, you will most likely be numb for 2-4 hours following the procedure, most patients are able to return to school or work directly following a root canal.
Why is a Rubber dam necessary?
- We can achieve a very good isolation with rubber dam while endodontic treatment or root canal treatment and it provides dry, clean operating field which is free of saliva, blood, debris from procedure.
- It reduces risk of swallowing instruments and debris.
- It reduces risk of contamination of micro-organisms in blood and saliva and reduces microleakage in endodontic procedure. It helps to increase the life and success rate of root canal treatment.
- It increases visibility and accessibility of treatment site which will be easier for dentist.
- Protects patient, dentist from exposure to infectious diseases and aerosol splatters.
It may increase patient’s anxiety at first, but no need to worry. It is not at all harmful.
It may be uncomfortable to patient at first, but you get used to this, you will feel more comfortable with that.
By seeing so many advantages of using it, we understand the importance of rubber dam in dentistry.
What Does It Involve?
The aim of the treatment is to remove all infections from the root canal. The root is then cleaned and filled to prevent any further infection. Teeth in the back of the mouth that have had root canal should ideally be crowned to avoid future fracture of the tooth. Root canal treatment is a skilled and time-consuming procedure. It may involve more than one visit or even better referral to a specialist in cases of difficult root canal anatomy or redoing a previous root canal treatment.
At the first appointment, the infected pulp is removed. Any abscesses, which may be present, can also be drained at this time. The root canal is then cleaned and shaped ready for filling. A temporary filling is put in and the tooth is left to settle. Please be careful not to eat hard food while the temporary filling is in place. It is best you avoid eating on the tooth altogether until all treatment is complete. The tooth is checked at a later visit and when all the infection has cleared, the tooth is permanently filled.
Why Does Tooth Pulp Need to Be Removed?
When a tooth’s nerve tissue or pulp is damaged, it breaks down and bacteria begin to multiply within the pulp chamber. The bacteria and other decayed debris can cause an infection or abscessed tooth. An abscess is a pus-filled pocket that forms at the end of the roots of the tooth. An abscess occurs when the infection spreads all the way past the ends of the roots of the tooth. In addition to an abscess, an infection in the root canal of a tooth can cause:
- Swelling that may spread to other areas of the face, neck, or head
- Bone loss around the tip of the root
- Drainage problems extend outward from the root. A hole can occur through the side of the tooth with drainage into the gums or through the cheek with drainage into the skin.
What to Expect During a ROOT CANAL?
- X-ray – if a dentist suspects you may need a root canal, he will first take X-rays or examine existing X-rays to show where the decay is located.
- Anesthesia – local anesthesia is administered to the affected tooth. Contrary to popular belief, a root canal is no more painful than a filling.
- Pulpectomy – an opening is made and the diseased tooth pulp is removed.
- Filling – the roots that have been opened (to get rid of the diseased pulp) are filled with gutta-percha material and sealed off with cement.
Tips for Care After a ROOT CANAL
A treated and restored tooth can last a lifetime with proper care. Root canals have a high success rate. Here are a few ways to take care of your teeth after a root canal:
- Practice good oral hygiene – brush teeth twice a day, and floss at least once. Taking care of your teeth can help prevent future problems.
- Visit the dentist regularly – cleanings and examinations by dentists and hygienists.
- Avoid chewing on hard foods – chewing on hard foods such as ice can cause teeth to break, and can harm root canals.
TCA Technique (Tactile-Controlled Activation Technique):
It is defined as the activation of motionless engine-driven file only after it becomes fully engaged inside a patent canal (It gives tactile sensation of anatomy of canal to the operator).
Procedure:
Insert the rotary file passively into the canal until the resistance. Then activate file. Then Withdraw the file from canal and inactivate it. Then clean and irrigate canal and check patency of canal for the second time. Same rotary file insert into the canal passively. It will reach deep and then activate file again
Advantages:
- Can achieve larger apical preparation in severely curved canals
- Minimizes the time of engagement of file
- Reduces the risk of ledge formation, instrument separation and canal transportation in curved canal
- Can manage challenging cases of extreme canal curvature
