Endodontic therapy or root canal therapy is actually a sequence of treatment for the infected tooth which results in the removal of the infection and also protects the decontaminated tooth from any infection. The pulp chamber and also the root canals are the physical hollows within a tooth which are inhibited by blood vessels, nerve tissue, and other cellular entities. All these systems together will constitute the dental pulp.
Root canal therapy involves the subsequent shaping, removal of these structures, cleaning, and decontamination of the hollows with irrigating solutions and small files, and also the filling of the decontaminated canals. Filling of the decontaminated and cleaned canals is done with a dental cement. In order to bind the cement into our canals epoxy resin is used.
The tooth pulp needs to be removed when the gum or tooth get infected due to various reasons. When the pulp or tooth’s nerve tissue gets infected, the break down begins and the bacteria will start to multiply within the pulp chamber. These bacteria and other debris can cause abscessed tooth or an infection. The pus which forms at the end of the roots of the tooth is known as an abscess. The abscess is found only when the infection of the tooth spreads all the way through the ends of the roots. An infection which occurs in the root canal of a tooth can cause:
- Bone loss around the tip of the tooth.
- Swelling which can spread to other areas of the head, neck or face.
- There also arises some drainage issues which extend outward from the root. Through the side of the tooth, a hole can occur with drainage into the gums or through the cheek.
- The nerve of the tooth can become inflamed, infected, and irritated due to repeated dental procedures on a tooth, deep decay, large fillings, a chip or crack in the tooth, or trauma to the face.
The root canal procedure is done by an endodontist or a dentist. An endodontist specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of injuries and diseases of the dental pulp or the nerve of a tooth. The choice of which type of dentist to carry out the procedure for your treatment depends on the level of difficulty of the root canal procedure required in your particular tooth and also the comfort level in working on your teeth. After the root canal therapy is completed, a restoration is placed and in most cases a crown is recommended.
The root canal procedure is very safe and has a success rate of 95%. Most of the teeth fixed with a root canal can last a lifetime.