Tooth canal treatment: when is it necessary and how is it carried out?
Tooth canal treatment is a procedure that is carried out for certain indications and allows you to stop active inflammation in the internal tissues of the tooth and avoid the removal of a dental unit. Treatment of tooth canals has its own specifics and is complex; only an experienced and competent specialist can carry out the procedure efficiently. In the article we will look in detail at the process of root canal treatment: we will find out under what circumstances the procedure is carried out, how it goes, what methods are used for treating tooth canals.
Where is the tooth canal located, how is it structured
Human teeth have almost the same anatomical structure, including three main parts: crown, neck and root. Inside the tooth there is a pulp chamber, from which canals originate and extend all the way to the root. The pulp chamber contains the pulp or nerve of the tooth, which is a bundle of nerve fibers and blood vessels. Nerve fibers and vessels also pass through the entire internal space of the dental canal. The shape of the tooth canals can be either straight or curved, and their number varies depending on the type of tooth. Thus, the canines and incisors of the upper jaw have one canal, the canines and incisors of the lower jaw have two. There may be two or three canals in molars, and the maximum number of canals is observed in wisdom teeth - from three to five. The exact number of dental canals is determined using radiographic examination.
As mentioned above, the shape of the canals can have bends and turns, which complicates the process of their high-quality cleaning and treatment. Meanwhile, when treating canals, it is important to thoroughly clean their internal space - otherwise it will not be possible to stop the inflammatory process and save the diseased tooth.
Classical treatment methods
Dentistry has long been dealing with the problem of root canal inflammation. Treatment was carried out using two methods:
- opening the tooth chamber, placing arsenic paste, removing it after the tissue has died, and filling;
- opening the dental chamber, placing a resorcinol-formalin mixture, which blocked the inflammatory process, filling.
There are classical and modern treatment methods. When comparing, it can be clearly noted that classical therapy has a number of disadvantages:
- both compositions have a toxic effect on the body;
- risk of incomplete pulp death;
- risk of residual infection and relapse;
- painful procedure.
These methods are now practically not used, since modern means and drugs make it possible to completely clean the inflamed cavity and destroy the infection painlessly, with minimal trauma and without the risk of relapse.
Indications for dental canal treatment
Tooth canal treatment is a specific dental procedure that is advisable to perform in the following clinical cases:
When an active inflammatory process is detected inside the root of a dental unit. The inflammatory process in this part of the tooth can lead to gradual tissue necrosis. If tissue necrosis begins, the diseased tooth will have to be removed.
The condition is diagnosed by radiography;
Treatment of tooth canals is required for pulpitis - inflammation affecting the pulp bundle;
Endodontic treatment is carried out for periodontitis, a disease affecting the apical part of the tooth root;
In some cases, cleaning and treatment of dental canals is required for advanced forms of caries.
Dental canal treatment is also indicated for abscesses, the onset of an inflammatory process under an old filling, or a fractured tooth root. The need for measures to treat tooth canals may be indicated by such symptoms as: severe, excruciating pain in the tooth, occurring mainly at night, swelling of soft tissues, discoloration of the gums and tooth enamel.
In some cases, tooth canal treatment is carried out before prosthetics. The nerve is removed from the tooth, and the canal cavities are cleaned, treated with antiseptic drugs and filled.
Temporary canal filling
It involves filling the canals with medicinal compounds. The period is determined by the doctor. This is done:
- to achieve an antiseptic effect
- to stop inflammation during periodontitis
- to isolate the canal if it is impossible to cure it in one visit
The procedure is carried out:
- for acute and chronic forms of periodontitis
- for injuries
- complex anatomy of root canals
- with perforation of walls
The composition of medicinal non-hardening pastes for temporary fillings includes antibiotics and antibacterial substances.
Main stages of root canal treatment
Treatment of tooth canals is a complex, specific process that includes several successive stages. Below we will consider all stages of the treatment process in detail.
Diagnostics
During the initial visit to the dentist, the doctor will conduct a thorough examination of the patient’s oral cavity and will also prescribe x-rays. An image of the tooth will allow you to assess the condition of the dental canals, see their number, determine the stage of development of the inflammatory process, and also select adequate treatment for a specific clinical case.
Anesthesia
To gain access to the canals of a tooth, the dentist will drill out the coronal part of the tooth to reach the pulp chamber, behind which the canals are located. Both the pulp and the canals are penetrated by nerve fibers and therefore the specialist’s actions can cause some discomfort to the patient. To relieve a person of discomfort, local anesthesia is performed before starting root canal treatment. The drug is selected individually for each patient.
Moisture insulation of the area of the diseased tooth
To prevent pathogenic microorganisms that may be contained in saliva from entering the internal space of the tooth, the area of the diseased tooth is first protected from moisture by covering with a special latex bandage - a rubber dam.
Reaming a tooth
To gain access to the dental canals, the doctor will drill the tooth, removing all tissue affected by caries. The access hole is made either on the chewing surface of the tooth (when treating molars) or on the inside (when treating incisors and canines). After drilling, the doctor will remove either the entire pulp bundle or only part of the tissue affected by the inflammatory process.
Treatment of dental canal cavities
For high-quality treatment of dental canals, a specialized tool is used - files. Before the cleaning process, it is important to obtain detailed information on the structure of the dental canals, as well as their length. To do this, a photograph of the diseased tooth is taken, and a special type of device is used - an apex locator. The dentist will use the files to clean the canal cavities, and then rinse them with an antiseptic solution and treat them with antibacterial agents. During cleaning and antiseptic treatment, the dentist will expand the cavity of the canals, clean and smooth their internal surfaces. Then the cavities of the dental canals are thoroughly dried with paper points.
Next, the doctor puts medicine into the canal cavity, places a temporary filling on the tooth and sends the patient home. After a few days, you should come back to the dentist to evaluate the results of the treatment. If the image shows that the inflammation has been stopped, the canals are filled.
Sealing
Gutta-percha pins are used to fill dental canals. It is important that the dental canal is sealed correctly and efficiently, otherwise a recurrence of inflammation is possible and the tooth cannot be saved. After filling the canals, the crown part of the tooth is restored with a photopolymer filling or orthopedic structures. It will be useful to know that mild pain in the tooth within 14 days after the procedure is considered normal by dentists. Taking painkillers prescribed by your doctor will help eliminate discomfort. However, if the pain does not go away, its character is sharp, and does not subside even after taking anesthetics, you should immediately contact the dentist!
Modern methods of treatment
Highly qualified and experienced specialists at the Dentpremium Dentistry Center use exclusively modern methods of treating inflamed tooth canals.
- Therapeutic or biological. This method allows you to save part of the fabric or the entire remote control. The biological method is effective only at the initial stage of the disease. Treatment consists of placing an anti-inflammatory drug into the pulp chamber with a temporary filling, or applying antibiotic dressings to allow the drug to flow through the dentin.
- Pulp extirpation. Treatment involves removing absolutely all neurovascular tissue, cleaning the cavity, treating with antiseptics and sealing. For treatment, filling, injection of gutta-percha (thermoplasticized) or filling with thermophiles are used.
In the most severe cases, when there is a cyst, granuloma or other formation, resection of the root apex is performed.
How long does root canal treatment take?
The duration of tooth canal treatment depends on the complexity and characteristics of the clinical case, as well as the number of canals that the specialist will have to treat. On average, the duration of the procedure can range from 20 minutes to 1.5 hours.
It is also worth considering that for high-quality root canal treatment, you will have to visit the dentist’s office several times.
Is it painful to treat root canals?
Thanks to the use of modern anesthetics, root canal treatment has become a painless procedure. The patient may feel mild discomfort only during the injection of the anesthetic.
Therefore, there is no need to be afraid of root canal treatment; moreover, you must remember that you should never postpone the procedure due to fear of the dentist! Inflammation in a tooth that has progressed to a certain stage of development cannot be cured, which means that the diseased tooth will have to be removed and a prosthesis put in its place. In addition, more serious complications may occur.
Recommendations
Endodontic treatment at the Dentpremium clinic has high success rates. However, to prevent complications arising due to improper dental care after therapy, the following recommendations should be followed:
- exclude spicy, hot and cold foods from the diet for 3–5 days;
- maintain oral hygiene (brush your teeth, use an irrigator and dental floss);
- do not chew gum and hard foods, do not chew candies, nuts, etc.
In order to prevent pathological processes in the roots of the tooth, it is necessary to visit the dentist twice a year for preventive purposes, as well as to promptly treat diseases of the oral cavity.
Note! Increased sensitivity and minor pain in the first days are normal. If the pain is severe, you should contact your dentist.
Modern method of treating tooth canals: treatment of the canal cavity under a microscope
The quality of dental canal treatment depends on the correctness and accuracy of cleaning and processing of their internal space. This is a very painstaking work, since the channels themselves are quite narrow (no more than one millimeter), and in addition, they can have bends and turns. If a specialist makes a mistake when treating the canals and does not remove particles of the affected dentin, a relapse of the inflammatory process is guaranteed. The use of a special tool in treatment - a dental microscope - will help eliminate possible errors and inaccuracies in the treatment of dental canals.
Using a microscope, the dentist will perform a high-quality removal of all infected tissues, while preventing injury to healthy tooth tissues. The use of the device simplifies the process of cleaning and processing channels with significant lengths, anomalous structure,
with curvatures and branches. In addition, the use of a dental microscope during the treatment of tooth canals improves the quality of tooth restoration as a whole, and also contributes to the timely detection of hidden caries.
At our dental clinic “Uni Dent” in St. Petersburg, you can receive services for dental canal treatment under a microscope. The procedure is carried out by highly qualified doctors using modern instruments and materials, and therefore when you contact us, you can rest assured that the treatment result will be of high quality! Dentistry "Uni Dent" - come to us for a beautiful smile and painless dental treatment!
Diagnostics
Treatment of impassable root canals begins with determining their length and anatomical features. The most informative diagnostic method is radiography. To obtain accurate data on the condition of the tissues, a photograph of the tooth root is taken with the instrument inserted into it. This allows you to see:
- length of root canals,
- the presence of curvatures and perforations,
- impassable areas.
The condition of the periodontium is also assessed. This allows you to determine further treatment tactics.
