Endodontics, commonly known as root canal treatment, is the area of dentistry involving the diagnostics and treatment of pulp and periapical tissue diseases.
Root canal treatment of a tooth – endodontic – is one of the most common procedures. It is necessary in the case of pulp inflammation or infection, which may be caused by: deep caries, dentine grinding during the removal of caries, mechanical trauma: chipping or breaking of the tooth.
The basic method, aimed at preserving the tooth, is precise cleaning, shaping and disinfection of root canals. The treatment ends with a tight filling of the root canal system with an appropriate material and prosthetic reconstruction. For the success of root canal treatment, it is necessary to use a surgical microscope, which provides the magnification of the observed area by 2 to even 30 times. The procedure is performed under anaesthesia and is thus completely painless.
at the Scandinavian Clinic includes:
- the preparation of the tooth for endodontic treatment,
- primary root canal treatment,
- secondary root canal treatment.
The course of the procedure:
The dentist opens the chamber of the tooth and removes the pulp from the root canals using specialized tools. The dentist disinfects them and fills with special material. If the root canal treatment is carried out for the first time, it is known as primary treatment. If a tooth has to be subjected to root canal treatment for the second time, this is called secondary treatment.
A symptom that may indicate the need to visit the dentist again is a long-lasting ache of the tooth that has already been endodontically treated. Indications for reendodontics include improperly performed primary treatment, new injury, deep caries, cracked or leaking filling, as well as the need for a new prosthetic restoration.
Duration of the procedure:
Duration of the procedure depends on the extent of caries lesions. In most cases it lasts from 1 to 3 hours and is completed during one dental appointment. However, root canal treatment may require several visits.
Recommendations after the procedure:
The patient may feel discomfort even for a few days after the treatment. If the ailments are exacerbated, the patient should visit the dentist for a check-up.
Within 30 days after the procedure, the crown should be reconstructed and after six months a dental X-ray should be taken to check the condition of the teeth. Due to the complicated nature of the treatment process it is not possible to provide a warranty.
Contemporary methods of root canal therapy do not cause discolouration in most cases. Tooth discolouration is possible, however, as the root canal therapy removes the tooth pulp (the alive part of a tooth which transmits nutrients to the tissues), which may cause darkening of the tooth. Patients wanting to improve the aesthetics of their teeth may ask us to make suggestions related to whitening, fitting of a prosthetic crown or placing a veneer.
The success rate of primary root canal treatment is estimated at 96%. Its result is the long-term preservation of healthy teeth. It does not mean, however, that after treatment has been completed you may stop taking care of your teeth. On the contrary – we should be even more committed to prophylaxis and hygiene of the oral cavity. It is good to remember that without a proper prosthetic restoration the success rate of treatment is reduced even by 40%.
