Endodontics – Root Canal Treatment

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First of all, it should be known that no artificial tooth can replace a natural tooth in oral and dental health. Therefore, we should protect our natural teeth by treating them to the fullest extent.

When one of our teeth hurts, one of the most well-known protection methods is root canal treatment. Root canal treatment helps protect damaged teeth.

When the pulp (the soft layer inside the tooth containing nerves, blood, and lymph vessels) is damaged to the point where it cannot repair itself, the pulp dies. This is usually caused by bacteria in broken teeth or deep cavities.

Bacteria cause inflammation in the core of the tooth. If the damaged or diseased pulp is not removed, the tooth and surrounding tissues are exposed to infection. And eventually, you may lose your tooth completely.

What is Root Canal Treatment and How is it Applied?

Root canal treatment is a treatment method applied in cases where the pulp is damaged. In previous years, when a diseased soft tooth layer was encountered, the only solution was extraction, but today it is possible to treat these teeth.

What Happens If Root Canal Treatment Is Not Performed?

In cases where the pulp cannot heal itself due to deep decay and cracks, the tooth loses its vitality and the infection can spread to the entire tooth. If root canal treatment is not performed, the infection can reach the tissues at the root tip.

The jawbone surrounding the tooth also becomes inflamed and eroded. An abscess forms in this cavity. This condition is accompanied by pain and swelling and the tooth is lost in a short time.

Stages of Root Canal Treatment;

First of all, anesthesia is applied to the tooth for a painless and ache-free treatment.

Then, the tooth decay is cleaned and when it reaches the pulp of the tooth, the diseased and soft tissue is removed. Nerve and tissue residues are cleaned.

The tooth canal is shaped up to the root tip. If necessary, some medications can be applied to accelerate healing.

The tooth is covered with temporary dental filling materials between sessions until the tooth heals. After it is understood that the inflammation has stopped reproducing and the inflammation from the root tip has stopped, the inside of the tooth canal is filled with a special dental filling material up to the root tip and the crown part is restored by filling, porcelain filling (inlay) or crown coating so that it does not break and decay again.

In some cases, these sessions are not necessary at all and it is possible to complete the root canal treatment in a single session.

What is the Life Span of a Tooth with Root Canal Treatment?

If the tooth does not become infected again and measures are taken to prevent tooth decay, this dental filling can be used for a lifetime. You can catch the beginning of the infection in your regular dentist check-ups. In addition, tooth decay should be prevented again with very good oral care.

Root Canal Treatment - Endodontics

Root canal treatment is a treatment method performed to save a decayed or infected tooth. In cases where the intervention with a filling is insufficient for tooth decay, if there is inflammation, if the tooth decay has advanced, if it is painful and painful, root canal treatment is applied.

If the decays in the tooth are not treated in time, the decay progresses deeper and causes inflammation of the nerves in the tooth. Inflammation of the tooth nerves causes the person to experience severe toothache, darkening of the tooth, and problems such as sensitivity to hot and cold.

How is Root Canal Treatment Performed?

The hard enamel tissue is on the outside of the teeth, and on the inside, there is a space consisting of a bundle of veins and nerves extending along the root of the tooth. The tissues that give vitality and life to the tooth are the veins and nerves located in this space in the center of the tooth, called the pulp.

During root canal treatment, the soft tissue, namely the pulp, and the dental nerve are removed from the natural space called the root canal inside the hard tissue of the tooth, the inside of the tooth is cleaned, and then the opened space is filled.

The dental nerve removed from the tooth is not vital for dental health and function, but its removal prevents the person from experiencing severe pain. This nerve is a sensory nerve used only for the perception of hot and cold.

Contrary to popular belief, the patient does not feel pain during root canal treatment. In root canal treatment, as in filling treatment, the tooth and surrounding tissues are effectively anesthetized, and the procedure is usually completed within 1 hour. Thanks to the development of devices and systems used to expand root canals, the duration of root canal treatment has been shortened and the procedure has become easier. 

Why is Root Canal Treatment Performed?

The nerve or pulp of a tooth can be damaged, infected and infected due to deep cavities in the tooth, a crack or fracture in the tooth or facial trauma. The damaged pulp or nerve of the tooth breaks down, so bacteria begin to multiply in the root canal. Bacteria and other decayed residues can cause infection or a tooth abscess. An abscess is a pus-filled vesicle and occurs when the infection spreads to the end of the root tips of the tooth.

An abscess in the tooth causes the person to experience severe pain. In addition to causing an infection in the root canal, an abscess can also cause swelling that can spread to the face, neck or other parts of the head, bone loss around the root of the tooth and drainage problems in the tooth and cheek.

It is very important for the person to continue their quality of life to have the treatment of the abscessed tooth as soon as possible. With toothache occurring more at night, the person's sleep quality is affected and they may face problems such as distraction during the day.

Situations That Require Root Canal Treatment

• Darkening of the tooth color,
• Sensitivity to hot or cold,
• Swelling and tenderness in nearby gums,
• Severe toothache when chewing or applying pressure,
• Improper restorations, new cavities around old fillings, deep cavities or accidental loss of vitality of the nerve and vascular tissue of the tooth,
• Teeth clenching/grinding, high fillings and restorations are also among the causes of chronic trauma and can cause inflammation.
• In addition, periodontal (gum and surrounding) diseases that have not been treated for a long time are also among the factors that cause tooth inflammation. In these cases, root canal treatment comes to the agenda.