Features of tooth and root canal treatment

Most people go to a dental clinic when they have problems in the oral cavity. It can be gum inflammation, incipient caries, pulpitis, tooth sensitivity or bad breath. Even with toothache, people start taking painkillers and only go to the dentist when the pills do not relieve the pain. As a result, the tooth cannot be saved and the neglected stage of the disease leads to various complications and serious diseases. One of these complications is the need for root canal treatment and nerve removal. That is why it is important to visit the dentist once or twice a year, not when you have a problem in your mouth, but as a preventive measure. This will help to maintain a beautiful, pearly white smile and detect the very early stages of caries and other dental problems.

Reasons indicating the need for visiting the dentist

If you are experiencing tooth pain, discomfort or swollen gums, it is not a good idea to delay going to the dentist. The sooner you start treatment, the more likely you are to save the tooth and prevent nerve extraction.

You should see a dentist if you have:

• tooth sensitivity to hot and cold foods;
• appearance of bad breath;
• bleeding gums;
• swollen gums;
• the appearance of stains on the teeth;
• discolouration of tooth enamel.

A timely visit to the dentist will help keep your teeth healthy and your smile white.

How teeth are treated in the dentist’s office

Almost everyone knows how dental treatment takes place in the dentist’s office. The dentist makes a diagnosis of the oral cavity, interviews the patient, finds out what is bothering him, makes a visual inspection, refers him to X-rays and 3D panoramic images. After taking a complete medical history and studying the images of the mouth, the dentist chooses a competent solution for treatment. If the caries is in its early stages, it can be easily treated by removing the inflammation and placing a filling. If the caries is deep and has progressed to pulpitis, the dentist will take extreme measures – root canal treatment, removal of the nerve and insertion of a filling.

What is a root canal? A root canal is the inner cavity of a tooth where the blood vessels and nerves are located. Despite its small size, the tooth has a fairly complex internal structure. The visible part of the tooth (crown) is above the gum and the inner part (root) is below the gum. Inside the tooth is the pulp, which fills the root canal.

The reasons why it is necessary to have a root canal treatment

Indications for root canal treatment: caries, pulpitis, periodontitis, preparation for crowns and dentures. These diseases cause a cavity to form inside the tooth which, if left untreated, can have serious consequences. Harmful microbes and food debris enter the cavity, causing the tooth to rot, causing bad breath and pain. As the decay progresses, an infection develops, which can lead to serious inflammation and abscesses. This is why the tooth cavity needs to be treated and filled.

How root canals are treated

Many people are interested in how root canals are treated. It should be done by a qualified dentist with many years of experience. Root canal treatment consists of removing and filling the nerve. The procedure is quite simple, but there are a few peculiarities. First of all, the dentist makes a diagnosis and takes a complete medical history of the affected tooth. Before the treatment, the patient is anaesthetised, as the removal of the nerve is quite painful, but with anaesthesia the patient does not feel any pain or discomfort.

To get to the nerve (after the anaesthesia), the dentist drills into the tooth with a drill. The bundle of nerve endings is then removed with a special tool (pulpoextractor), and the inflamed pulp is removed from the tooth cavity. The root canals are then widened, treated with antiseptics and filled.

Stages and methods of root dental treatment

Dental canal treatment is performed to save a diseased tooth that has become infected. What does a dental canal treatment involve? Before the treatment, the dentist cleans the root canal from necrotic tissue and infection, and performs the necessary therapeutic manipulations to stop the inflammatory process and save the tooth.

Not so long ago, dental canals were treated with arsenic. The dentist would open the tooth, fill it with arsenic paste and, after a few days, extracted it and continue the treatment. This method is not used in modern dentistry because arsenic:

• is a dangerous and poisonous substance,
• does not always kill the nerve completely, so the patient may experience severe pain when it is extracted;
• incompletely removed nerve tissue can become a source of repeated inflammation.

In modern dental clinics, the following methods are used for root canal treatment.

1. Therapeutic. Allows the pulp to be saved. The dentist drills out the tooth, fills it with medicine and puts in a temporary filling. This method is effective in the early stages of the inflammatory process.
2. Surgical. This involves removing the nerve, cleaning and disinfecting the oral cavity.

 The stages themselves consist of:

• diagnosis;
• pulpectomy;
• canal filling;
• restoration of the part of the tooth above the crown.

All stages of treatment are painless and are carried out under general anaesthetia.

The need for anaesthesia during dental canals treatment

Anaesthesia is not always used in the treatment of teeth and gums. It is only indicated when caries has affected the deep layers of dentin. They contain a large number of nerve endings and any manipulation by the dentist will cause acute and severe pain. To prevent this, the dentist uses an anaesthesia that is individually selected for each patient. The injection itself is completely painless, as modern syringes have very thin needles that allow the drug to be injected without discomfort.

Recommendations of specialists after root canal treatment

After the root canal has been filled, the dentist will give the patient the following recommendations:

• If there is swelling on the outside of the cheek, apply ice. This will relieve the swelling and pain that may be felt for a few days after the treatment;
• If the tooth reacts to external stimuli (cold, sweet, hot food), you can take painkillers for the first few days after treatment;
• Try not to eat hot and cold foods for a few days;
• Take care of your oral hygiene;
• Avoid hard foods (nuts, candy).

If the pain persists for 2-3 days after the nerve is removed, it is worth seeing a doctor immediately to avoid complications.

As you can see, the answer to the question why root canal treatment – it helps to save the tooth, relieve inflammation, prevent complications. The most important thing is to go to a good dental clinic, where you will be provided with a full range of services for dental treatment at a high level.