Do you always have pain in your gums? Do they often bleed while brushing? Is sensitivity affecting you badly when you drink hot coffee or eat ice cream? Then, you might need a Root Canal. Get to know about the symptoms in case you require a Root Canal, complete Procedure how Root Canal Works, Time Taken in whole Procedure, Aftermaths and much more in this article. Going through this article, you will cover complete information related to Root Canal.
Table of Contents
Symptoms Leading to Root Canal
The main symptoms which require Root Canal are as follows:
- Extreme pain while Biting or Chewing (This is usually biting hard things, hard fruits)
- Internal or External Pimples on Gums
- Cracked or chipped tooth (It can be any reason like genetics or an accident)
- Sensitivity to Hot and Cold objects (While having a hot thing like tea or coffee and a cold thing like ice cream, usually there is a sensation due to sensitive teeth)
- Swelling in Gums
- Decay of Gums (The inside of the tooth becomes black)
If you are having any or some of these symptoms, then you must consult a dentist. Mouth or dental health is the pathway to your internal body, like your oesophagus, stomach, liver, intestines, and other vital organs. If dental health is not good, it may lead to other infections also.
Why Brush Twice a Day?
It is highly recommended to brush the teeth twice a day for healthy teeth and gums. According to American Dental Association, brushing the teeth for two minutes every day with fluoride is advisable. Brushing the teeth removes leftover food and plague, i.e. a sticky white layer formed by which the teeth contain bacteria. If anyone consumes sugar food, the bacteria present in the plaque make acid that can attack tooth enamel.
Other names of Root Canal Treatment: Endodontic Treatment, Endodontic Therapy, Root Canal Therapy
What is Root Canal Treatment?
Endodontic Therapy is a treatment to eliminate bacteria from the root of the infected tooth, which in turn prevents reinfection of the same tooth or spreading of infection to other nearby tooth and thus save the tooth. In addition, it helps to revive the tooth by removing any sort of pain which was happening earlier.
Inside the tooth, there are several sections; first, there is white enamel, after which there is a hard layer i.e detin. When this hard layer gets over, a soft tissue is present in the tooth known as the pulp. The pulp contains nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue, which is an essential part of the development of the tooth.
A fully-developed tooth, generally in adults, can survive without this pulp because the tooth gets nourishment by the tissues and blood vessels surrounding it.
So, in Root Canal, this pulp is removed, disinfecting the tooth and cleaning, shaping and decontaminating the hollow structures with irrigation solutions, files and fillings. Finally, the filling of these open structures with the help of gutta-percha and zinc oxide eugenol.
Also, if paraformaldehyde is included in the cement of Zinc Oxide, the results will increase significantly. Epoxy resin is for the binding of Gurra-Percha is some Root Canal treatment. Using antiseptic filling in some of the Root Canal procedures in which formaldehyde like N2 is used.
Root Canal Procedure and How long does it take?
Diagnostic and Preparation
Due to pain, there are mainly two options for the patient, either he/she can go for the complete removal of the tooth or else he/she can go for Endodontic Therapy. After checking the condition of that particular tooth, the doctor suggests whether to go with option A or Option B. By the removal of the infected pulp, and the Endodontist assures the durability of the tooth. Before the treatment out, the dentist checks the patient’s complete (Including the patient’s symptoms, medical history, clinical examination, and lab prognosis tests).
Several tests which can support the diagnosis are as follows:
- Mobility (Checking whether there is more than the standard movement of that particular tooth)
- Palpation (Examining the tipping point of the tooth from overlaid tissues to check any swelling or tenderness)
- Tooth Slooth (In this Prognosis Test, the patient bites down a plastic instrument. This is helpful if the patient is complaining about the biting pain and this can be useful for the localization of the tooth)
- Radiographs
- Transillumination (Passing of light through the tooth to check for any cracks, similar to X-Rays)
After all these prognosis tests, removing Pulp Tissue is advisable if the future infection is inevitable. Also, as there is some infection already present beneath the tooth. By drilling method, we remove the pulp chamber. Also, the removal of pulp is to cure and get rid of this infection. Meanwhile, disinfectants help to get rid of any other bacteria which can affect the tooth. N2 is the most successful paraformaldehyde, which has an antiseptic purpose. Finally, the nerve is done with the help of long needles, which can be painful for a while.
Opening Up the Crown
The Endodontist opens the enamel and dentin tissues of the tooth. Now, it is time to fit a dental drill with a dental blur that is for opening up the enamel and dentin.
Isolation of Tooth
Dentists use the rubber dam for the isolation of tooth due to the following reasons:
Rubber Dam provides an antiseptic operating area that isolates the tooth from salivary and oral contamination or any other disinfection. Salivary contamination can lead to new bacterial infections inside the tooth, so complete procedure failure can happen.
Rubber Dam facilitates the use of medicaments which are essential to clean the roots of the tooth.
It also prevents the inhalation or ingestion of the medical equipment which are used during the Endodontic Treatment.
Removal of the Pulp Tissue
There are several methods of the removal of the pulp tissue from the tooth.
- Standardized Technique
- Step-Back Technique
- Crown Down
- Hybrid of Step-Back and Crown Down
Filling up the Root Canal
Gutta-Percha is the standard material for filling up the root of the tooth. It is a natural polymer latex. The main ingredient is Palaquium Gutta. The Standardized Technique involves the insertion of a Gutta-Percha cone-like structure into the root along with the cement. This cement is not the cement we use for building our houses. Also, in some cases, dentists use softened Gutta-Percha is for the cavity/opening. Thermal techniques are unreliable because Gutta-Percha shrinks when it cools down. So combining the methods is we fill up the Root Canal.
The dentist will check the fitting of the root now. This is an easy task as we use the Gutta-Percha in radiopaque.
Temporary Filling
Usually, the standard filling done with the help of Gutta-Percha is contaminated by the saliva within 30 days. Therefore to overcome this issue, the dentists use a temporary filling for sittings of Root Canal. For successful treatment, the coronal seal is of utmost importance.
Restoration
Premolars and Molars that have undergone the Root Canal therapy must be protected with a crown covering the tooth’s cusp. Covering is done because already a lot of tooth removal is done due to the Root Canal procedure. So, Molars and Premolars are primarily for chewing food. A crown is to protect them from any damage. Otherwise, it may lead to cracking of tooth while chewing or also swallowing of the broken tooth.
Time Taken for Root Canal Treatment
Root Canal time depends on the number of teeth which require Root Canal procedure. If the number of infected teeth is more, it will take more time.
Also, if there is a more severe infection, it will take more time, and if the disease is less, then it will take less time.
Otherwise, usually for just one tooth, it takes 90 minutes to 200 minutes for the complete procedure to happen.
Root Canal procedure can be either done by a dentist or an Endodontist. Endodontists are specially for Root Canal Therapy.
There are some teeth that have many Pulp Canal, so the removal of all of them is a time-consuming job while others have just one, so the time consumption is less in that case. Moreover, dentists use local Anaesthesiain in Root Canal Therapy for the patient. Also, for setting up of all the equipment takes some time.
In some cases, Root Canal Therapy require two or more sittings depending on the tooth.
We remove the pup in the first sitting. This requires a lot of concentration from the Dentist/Endodontist side, and it can be time-consuming. In this step only, the doctor will put up the anti-bacterial medicine so that you will no longer feel any sort of pain.
The second sitting will insist on permanent filling up the cavity created in the previous sitting as a rubber-like substance discussed preceding.
So, if we see Root Canal Therapy, it is not a time-consuming treatment when we look at the efficiency and effectivness. However, doctors must do Root Canal Treatment with total concentration and attention. Otherwise, it may lead to more sittings. Dentists/Endodontists usually take 2 sittings to complete the Root Canal Procedure.
