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Root Canal Therapy

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WHAT IS ROOT CANAL TREATMENT?

If your tooth’s nerve chamber becomes infected by decay, or damaged by injury, root canal treatment is often the only way to save your tooth.

Inside the enamel (hard outer shell of the tooth) is a specific area called the pulp or nerve chamber. The pulp chamber contains blood vessels and nerves to provide nutrients for the tooth.

Deep cavities or other injury can cause damage or infection of the tooth pulp. In a root canal, the dentist removes the damaged or infected pulp and replaces it with a special filler which helps protect the rest of the tooth. This filler will probably last a lifetime but you may need a new filling or a cap on the tooth. Without root canal treatment, the gum and bone around the tooth may become infected and a painful gumboil may form.

Quick Facts about root canal treatment:

You may need root canal treatment if you have:

  • Pain or throbbing while biting
  • Pain when eating/drinking hot or cold beverages/foods
  • Deep cavity or injury that causes an infection in the bone
  • Color change/darkening of the tooth
  • Swelling in nearby gum

 

Here are some ways to help prevent root canal treatment:

  • Brush and floss your teeth twice a day. Use a soft toothbrush and a fluoride toothpaste.
  • Visit your dentist regularly to have your teeth checked.
  • Have cavities fixed early so that infection cannot reach the nerve of the tooth.
  • If playing a contact sport, ask your dentist about wearing a mouth guard.
  • If your mouth and/or teeth are hurt, have them checked by a dentist as soon as possible.

Be sure to follow the special home care instructions provided by your dental professional.

  • 1. “I’ve heard root canal treatments are very painful. Do I really need it?”

    Let’s understand how a tooth gets infected in the first place – All teeth have root canals which have nerves and blood vessels nourishing the teeth. When dental decay progresses from the outer layers of the teeth to the root canals, these nerves and vessels get infected. They die and are replaced by infected material and pus. This causes pain and swelling necessitating a root canal treatment.

    If left untreated, they may cause damage to the bone surrounding the roots resulting in tooth abscess and draining pus. 

    Now, if a root is infected badly and if the root canal procedure is done without giving a course of antibiotics, it might lead to pain. If the tooth does not have active infection, it shouldn’t pain. With modern anaesthesia, painless root canals are not a myth anymore.

  • 2. “Isn’t it better to just extract the teeth instead of opting for root canal treatment?”

    No. One does not realize the value of teeth when one has them. No artificial tooth can ever replace the real one. Once a tooth is extracted, the neighbouring teeth move into the space created by the extraction and cause gum problems, difficulty in chewing etc.

  • 3. “Why does it take so much time for the treatment?”

    Firstly, if a tooth has active infection, you will be prescribed antibiotics to reduce the pain and infection. After three to four days, the dentist would start cleaning the roots with instruments (usually with local anaesthesia). Once the roots are clean, they are filled with a material to seal the roots and prevent them from getting reinfected. The tooth is then rebuilt with a dental material like composite after which a crown/cap is placed over it. 

  • 4.”If there’s no pain, why is a root canal treatment required?”

    Teeth that require root canals are not always painful. Sometimes, teeth may be dead for months or years and may not pain at all. Only when they get infected and cause a considerable amount of damage in the tooth and in the bone holding them will they cause pain. If root canal is done at the right time before it starts causing pain, the prognosis of the tooth is always better.

  • 5. “Once the doctor says the nerves are removed, why should I have pain?”

    No. Some infected teeth might take a while to settle down after root canal treatment. Certain teeth which have not been in use for a while might feel tender and painful while chewing after placement of a cap/crown. 

    In a few cases, there might be certain complications leading to reinfection and hence pain.Whatever the case, your dentist will be able to help alleviate the pain.

  • 6. “Root canal treatment takes too much time, too many sittings”. Why is that so?

    The root canal per se should not take more than two to three sittings. With modern equipment, endodontists (root canal specialists) can even finish the procedure in a single sitting. However, if the tooth is infected, has very difficult canals or if the patient compliance is less, it may require more sittings.

    Moreover, the strengthening of the tooth after the procedure with filling and crowns/bridges may require more sittings.

  • 7. ”Aren’t we killing the tooth during the root canal?”

    Root canal treatments are done when a tooth is dying or is already dead. Dental pulp (blood vessels and nerves) in the tooth is removed during the procedure because it gets infected due to decay or gum disease.

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