What is Root Canal Treatment? Will There Be Pain?

Root canal treatment is a treatment used to repair and save a severely decayed or infected tooth. During the process, the nerve is removed, the inner part of the tooth is cleaned and filled. Starting root canal treatment early is important for saving the tooth. When the aching tooth is neglected for a long time, the infection spreads to the surrounding tissues and the tooth is lost.

What is Root Canal Treatment?

To understand root canal treatment, it is necessary to have a general knowledge of the structure of the tooth. Tooth, from outside to inside; It consists of 3 main layers: enamel, dentin and root. The natural space in the center of the tooth is also called the root canal. The root is the soft tissue inside the root canal. This tissue is rich in blood vessels and nerves that nourish the tooth.

In ancient times, when an infection or inflammation progressed to the root layer, the tooth was no longer salvageable and was pulled out. Recent developments allow the root layer of the tooth to be cleaned and refilled. Although the root and the nerves inside are removed, the tooth performs its basic function. This is because the dental nerves are not of vital importance after the teeth come out of the gums and take their final shape. The only function of dental nerves in adults is sensory functions such as feeling the sensation of heat and cold.

When a tooth’s nerve tissue or root is damaged, it breaks down and bacteria begin to multiply there. Bacteria can lead to a massive infection or abscess. An abscess is a pus-filled swelling that forms at the end of the tooth roots. If dental caries is not treated, it can lead to serious conditions such as bone loss around the root.

How Long Does Root Canal Treatment Take, How is Root Canal Treatment Done?

Root canal treatment takes place in a single session or in two sessions, depending on the damage to the tooth. If the infection in the tooth is very common, root canal treatment can be completed in three sessions. Root canal treatment can be done by a dentist or endodontist. An endodontist is a dentist who specializes in the causes, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases of the dental root or dental nerve.

The first step in root canal treatment is to take an X-ray to see the shape of the root canals and detect any signs of infection in a surrounding bone. Your dentist or endodontist then uses a local anesthetic to numb the area next to the tooth. Anesthesia may not be necessary because the nerve is dead, but most dentists prefer to numb the area to make the patient more comfortable and calm. Next, your dentist places a waterproof material around the tooth to keep the area dry and saliva-free during treatment.

In the next step, a hole will be drilled into the tooth to reach the infected area. Bacteria, root, decayed nerve tissue and related infection debris in this area are removed from the tooth. The canal needs to be enlarged in order to fully clean and fill the canal effectively.

Canal tools similar to nail files are used for canal enlargement. This process is called canal filing. Since the nerves are removed during this procedure, the patient does not feel any pain. Water or sodium hypochlorite compounds are used periodically to clean both the debris accumulated during the filing process and the residues left inside.

After the thread is thoroughly cleaned, it should be sealed. Some dentists prefer to wait a week before filling the tooth permanently. For example, if an infection is suspected, your dentist may put a special medicine inside the tooth to remove the infection. Some dentists may prefer to close the tooth on the day it is cleaned. If root canal treatment is not completed on the same day, a temporary filling is applied to this cavity in the teeth so that residues such as saliva and food are not filled.

Filling this gap after the inside of the tooth is completely cleaned is important both to prevent new infections and to give strength to the tooth. A rubber compound called guta percha is used to fill the inside of the tooth. Guta percha is a substance that looks like a thin stick but does not cause a reaction in the body. Before this material is placed, the dryness of the tooth canal is ensured with paper cones and the length of the opened canals is measured with a special tool. According to this length, the gutta perchas are adjusted and the excess is cut with heat. Although gutta percha is the substance that fills the main cavity of the root canal, additional mixtures must be used to prevent and fix the leakage. As a result of the procedure, the hole opened is closed and the root canal treatment is completed. Depending on the damage to the tooth, a restoration technique popularly known as filling is applied. Correct application of restoration is one of the factors affecting the success of root canal treatment.

Pain During Dental Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatments are thought to be painful, but in fact, root canal treatments do not cause more pain than a simple filling procedure. However, since each person’s pain threshold is different, it would not be correct to claim that no pain is felt. The patient may feel discomfort and tenderness in some cases during the procedure. The discomfort felt is not caused by the procedure, but by the inflammatory condition there.

Pain After Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment is a treatment to relieve pain and save the tooth. Especially if there is pain or infection before the procedure, sensitivity may be felt in that tooth for a few days. This sensitivity or discomfort can usually be controlled with over-the-counter pain medications. Most patients return to their normal activities the next day.

Considerations After

• If root canal treatment is not finished in the first session, it should be avoided to use the related tooth until the treatment is finished.
• Even if the root canal treatment is completely finished, you should not eat or drink anything for at least two hours after the procedure.
• Since there may be sensitivity for a day or two, avoiding excessively hot and cold drinks provides comfort to the patient.
• When it comes to oral health care, it is important to visit the dentist at regular intervals as well as the general rules of care such as regular brushing, flossing and using an antiseptic mouthwash.

Root Canal Treatment Success Rates And Complications

Root canal treatment is a procedure with a success rate of more than 95%. Many teeth that have had root canal treatment can be used for a lifetime. However, despite your dentist’s best efforts to clean and fill a tooth, new infections can occur in a root canal. Possible reasons for this:

• A tooth has more root canals than is normally anticipated, resulting in one of them remaining unclean
• An undetected crack in the root of the tooth
• Bacteria pass through the restoration to reach the inner parts of the tooth and infect the area
• It can be listed as the disintegration of the material used to prevent leakage over time and the resettlement of bacteria into the inner parts of the tooth.

Alternatives

Saving your natural teeth is the best possible treatment option. Your natural teeth allow you to effectively digest the wide variety of foods needed to maintain proper nutrition.

The only alternative to the root canal procedure is to remove the tooth and replace it with a bridge, implant, or removable partial denture to restore chewing function and prevent displacement of adjacent teeth. This causes much longer sessions and puts a greater burden on the patient both financially and morally.

We wish you healthy days.