If you have severely damaged teeth, cavities, or a more serious dental infection, your dentist may recommend root canal treatment to resolve the issue. Root canal treatment is a common dental procedure that aims to save a tooth instead of removing it.

What happens during a root canal treatment and why is it needed?

The innermost part of the tooth is the soft dental pulp, which contains nerves and thin blood vessels, and it is responsible for supplying nutrients to the tooth. The contents of the pulp may become infected in many ways:

• Because of tooth cavities
• Due to regular dental procedures that irritate tissues
• Due to cracking or breaking of the tooth
• Due to some tooth injury (even if there is no visible break or crack in the tooth from the outside)

If these are not treated in a timely and professional manner, tissues around the tooth root or within the tooth may become infected. This infection may cause pain and swelling, and ulcers may develop either within the tooth or in adjacent bones around the tooth root. In more severe cases, the tooth may fall out if bacteria have sufficiently weakened the bone that holds the tooth in place.

 

What happens during a root canal treatment?

A root canal treatment is usually done on one or two occasions. Due to local anaesthesia, this procedure is painless. Once the root canal treatment is complete, earlier tooth pain caused by the infection will also be relieved.

• What exactly can you expect after root canal treatment? You can find out that from our professional article!

 

Before treatment, your dentist will do the following:

1. Will take an X-ray of the tooth and surrounding bones.
2. Will apply local anaesthesia to the tooth to be treated, for a painless procedure.
3. Will apply a thin layer of latex to the tooth to keep it dry and clean and to protect it from viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens that may be present in the mouth.

The intervention then begins, as follows:

1. The dentist opens a hole in your tooth.
2. Through this hole, they remove the contents of the root canal – the pulp, nerves and so on.
3. The dentist then cleans the root canal, for which they can also use a disinfectant against pathogens.
4. Your dentist will then fill your root canal through the hole with a rubbery material that will provide protection against subsequent infections.
5. Eventually, a temporary filling is applied to the treated tooth, which will protect it until the final filling or crown is completed.

After root canal treatment, the following should be kept in mind:

• The treated tooth and the area around it will be sensitive for a couple of days. Your dentist will surely warn you about this and will suggest some medications that can help relieve any pain.
• Your dentist may also prescribe antibiotics to stop the spread of infection. It is important that you take them as prescribed by your dentist and tell them immediately if you experience any side effects or any other complaints related to the medicine.

After root canal treatment, a second visit to your dentist will also be required, who will then remove the temporary filling and replace it with a permanent filling or crown to prevent infection of the tooth. When a crown is placed, a piece of plastic or metal can also be put into the treated tooth to help hold the crown in place.
Properly treated and cared for, root-treated teeth will remain in place for an unlimited time.

• Further information about root canal treatment: 7 important questions and answers about root canal treatment

 

Is it possible to request immediate root canal treatment during a medical examination?

Once they have identified the problem, your dentist will book an appointment for you for root canal treatment. It may happen that the procedure will be performed by another doctor who has specialized in this area.

If you are also struggling with toothache and tooth sensitivity, please visit our clinic and we will help you save your teeth from extraction. Book an appointment now by filling in the form below: