Root canals are necessary when the inner core of the tooth is infected, mostly due to some type of damage that bacteria can enter. This causes pain and inflammation, which can also lead to serious health problems. For this reason, while performing root canal treatment, the dysfunctional inner nerve and vascular network of the tooth should be removed. There is a common belief that the procedure takes many painful, long sessions at the dentist, but this is just a myth. If done with precision, root canal treatment takes only 1 to 3 sessions on a regular basis.
Root canals are usually performed when there are painful symptoms, but they can be planned ahead of time. Even if it does not cause any problems when it decays, it makes sense if the tooth needs to be filed excessively due to root removal or treatment of one of the neighboring teeth. In this latter case, protective root canals are performed, waiting for damage to the inner core of the tooth.
Root Canal Procedure
The first step of root canals is to open a hole on the surface of the tooth and reach the pulp chamber and the nerve canals branching from there. Teeth may have 1 to 3, rarely 4 nerve channels. Usually there is no living tissue there, only rash and pus. Then the chamber and canals are cleaned with special dental instruments and solutions, treated with antibiotic or antiseptic paste and closed with a temporary filling to prevent bacteria from entering the wound.
Teeth that require root canal treatment are often severely infected, so only one session is sufficient when performing preventive tooth root canal treatment. Thus, after the first cleansing session comes the second or third session, usually one week apart. In these sessions, the temporary fillings that were previously placed are removed, the cleaning and treatment is repeated, and the wound is closed again.
While the material of the permanent root filling is a rubber-like substance, the opening in the dental crown is closed with conventional fillings.
Root Crowns Under Dental Crowns
If necessary, root canal treatment can be performed on the coated tooth. It is up to the dentist to remove the crown or perform the procedure by making a hole in it. 1-canal teeth only need a small hole to remove nerves and blood vessels, so it may be a good decision to keep the crown in place. When root canal treatment is performed on teeth with 2 or more canals, a larger opening is required for the procedure, resulting in aesthetic damage to the crown. Therefore, it would be wiser to remove the crown before the procedure.
Time Scope of Root Canals
Usually the whole procedure can be performed in 3 sessions with excellent results. Regarding the length of each session, the first treatment, i.e. removal of nerves and blood vessels, requires the most time. The placement of the permanent filling and the closure of the tooth also takes time due to the sensitivity it receives. The duration of the sessions also depends on the number of root canals; While 1 root canal cleaning can be done in less than 30 minutes, 2 or more canal cleanings require more time and attention.
Thanks to modern anesthetics, root canal treatments are practically painless and do not take the patient more than 3 weeks. This is a small price to pay for healthy and beautiful teeth. If you are having problems with your teeth and you think you need dental canal treatment, you can contact our clinic.
