Endodontics

The root canal treatment (called also as endodontics treatment) is the treatment performed when the source of blood and nerves of the tooth known as pulp is inflamed due to decay or injuries.  In early stages of inflammation, you may not feel any pain.

In some cases, the color of the tooth may darken, which may mean that the tooth has lost its vitality. The root canal treatment is necessary in such cases.

Today, most of the abscesses at the root apex can be treated by the materials and techniques used in root canal treatment and thus teeth can be saved without requiring extraction.

The success of root canal treatment depends on the complete and optimal implementation of each of the treatment steps. Root canals should be expanded, cleaned and filled rightly.

Root canal treatment is performed in cases where the soft connective tissue (pulp) inside the tooth is damaged significantly or dead due to trauma, fractures, decays, progressive gingival diseases, and excessive wear. In addition, the first option in inflammations caused by incomplete root canal treatments is to renew the root canal treatment. The inflammation is treated by removing the old canal filling and root canal treatment is performed again.

In case of edema and infection caused by inflamed teeth that have not been treated for a long time, the first procedure to perform is root canal treatment.

Local anesthesia is applied before root canal treatment. Therefore, there is no feeling of pain during the procedure.

After taking diagnostic radiography, biomechanical shaping and canal filling are performed in the root canals under sufficient anesthesia. In root canal treatment, the pulp cavity is sealed in impermeable manner with canal filling material to prevent microorganisms in the mouth from re-infecting the root canal.

The duration of treatment varies depending on the amount of infection. In cases where the tooth is alive, root canal treatment can be completed in a single session. If there is an infection, it can usually be completed in 1-2 weeks.

After endodontic treatment, there may be a touch sensitivity and slight pain for up to 1 week in the related tooth, which can be relieved by pain killers. These are quite normal and the pain fades away each day.

A well-done root canal treatment has a high success rate and can be repeated in case of failure.

When it is diagnosed that the previous root canal treatment was unsuccessful, removal of old filling and refilling of the root canal is called as “retreatment”. Retreatment is defined as reshaping of canal, removal of root canal filling materials and refilling of canals.

Retreatment is usually performed if there are obvious signs and symptoms that indicate that previous treatment has failed. Success and failure are examined with clinical and radiographic findings. Many factors can cause endodontic failure. Such factors as microbial infection formed due to technical inadequacy of the first treatment or reinfection of the root canal system because of the fractures in filling, insufficient cleaning and filling of root canals, overlooked canals, filling of root canals short or long can be counted among these factors.

The most appropriate restoration after treatment will be recommended by the dentist. Composite fillings, fiber post applications to support the upper structure and porcelain crowns are among the options.

The important thing is to always preserve what is natural. A tooth saved with root canal treatment is beneficial both in terms of health and cost. Root canal treatment is relatively inexpensive compared to much more costly treatment options such as implants or dental bridges. In addition, the treatment period is much shorter.

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