BGZ Dental Turkey
- April 16, 2023
- 10 min read
- Dr. Fevzi BÜYÜKGEBİZ
What is Endodontics?
Page Contents
- Root Canal Treatment - What is Endodontics?
- In which cases do you need a root canal?
- How is root treatment performed?
- Considerations After Root Canal Treatment
- What is the Difference Between Root Canal Treatment and Filling?
- Do I feel pain during root canal treatment ?
- How long does root canal treatment take ?
- Do I feel pain after the root canal treatment ?
- What should I do if my pain doesn’t relieve for a long time after the canal treatment ?
The process where infected nerves that form on the dental canals as a result of loss of liveliness of nerves and veins of teeth that appear due to the fractures and cracks in teeth, decay on teeth or wrong treatment processes, are cleaned, disinfected and filled with canal filling materials is named as root canal treatment. In our clinic, laser-aided canal treatments are being done by specialist doctors to enhance the success of root canal treatment.
Root Canal Treatment - What is Endodontics?
Endodontics is derived from the Latin words endo meaning inside and donti meaning tooth. Endodontics is a branch of dentistry that deals with the treatment and repair of the tooth pulp, called the pulp.
Root canal treatment is a standardized endodontic procedure involving the removal of damaged or infected pulp, disinfecting the tooth, and subsequent refilling by a general dentist or endodontist (a specialist who only performs root canals and other dental nerve-related procedures) process. The reason why it is called root canal treatment is because the canals inside the tooth root are disinfected.
In which cases do you need a root canal?
If the nerve of your tooth is compromised, dead or infected, you need endodontic treatment. There is no solution other than having root canal treatment to repair a tooth with dead or dying nerve tissue inside. If you have a damaged tooth with a dead or infected nerve, your dentist will most likely recommend root canal treatment. Usually this treatment is recommended in the following situations:
- If there is nerve death caused by traumatic injuries
- In case of swelling in the face and neck area
- Cracks in teeth or tooth roots
- If the pain of a tooth radiates to the adjacent tooth, to the tooth in front of it two or three rows or to a tooth in the opposite jaw
- Acne-like sore formation on the gums or swelling of the gums
- If there is pain when chewing or biting while eating
- If there are deep caries that touch the nerve chamber inside your tooth
- Very Severe tooth sensitivity
- In general, if there is discoloration or darkening of the tooth compared to other teeth
The only way to get certain information about whether you need root canal treatment is to have a dentist examine you. As a result of various x-rays and scans, your dentist will give you clear information about whether you need this treatment and the cost of root canal treatment. In cases where diagnosis or treatment is difficult, your dentist may need an endodontist's opinion on the matter.
Click to return to top of page.How is Root Canal Treatment Performed?
Dental root canal treatment is a procedure that can be applied by dentists who are endodontists.
Root Canal treatment stages can be listed as;
How is root treatment performed?
Considerations After Root Canal Treatment
During root canal treatment, the inflamed tissue in the tooth is cleaned. Since the dental nerves are subsequently removed, the treated tooth is not affected by external stimuli. However, temporary sensitivity may be felt in the tooth due to tissue inflammation after treatment, especially in cases where pain or infection is present before the procedure. Such conditions can usually be alleviated or controlled with painkillers prescribed by your physician.
Your doctor will inform you about how many hours after the root canal treatment to eat. Due to the local anesthesia procedure performed before the treatment, numbness and insensitivity occur in the teeth, gums, jaw muscles, lips and tongue. It is better not to eat anything until the effect of the local anesthetic wears off (at least two to three hours). Otherwise, the tongue and lip may be bitten involuntarily during the chewing movement.
The tooth treated with root canal treatment, which has a very high success rate, can be used for a lifetime if regular care is provided. Teeth should be brushed duly at least twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush, and in addition, oral hygiene should be maintained by using mouthwash and dental floss once.
Consumption of sugary foods that cause cavities in teeth after treatment should be reduced as much as possible. If the treatment process continues, pressure on the treated tooth should be avoided. In this context, chewing sticky foods and consuming hard foods (such as almonds, hazelnuts, sugar) should be avoided in order to protect the treated tooth and to keep the temporary filling or crown in place.
Since root canal treatment is a procedure that usually requires 2 or more sessions, the caries-free area is closed with a temporary filling or crown until the next session. Since the temporary filling is not very durable, situations such as breaking or falling may occur. In such cases, you should visit your dentist for a new one.
Negative problems can be prevented by having general oral and dental health checks at least twice a year.
Click to return to top of page.What Is The Difference Between Root Canal Treatment and Filling ?
Root canal treatment is a procedure applied to eliminate problems such as excessive decay and abscesses in the teeth in order to prevent tooth loss. With root canal treatment, tooth decay and abscess problems are eliminated and the patient is prevented from losing teeth. Patients should immediately apply to a dental clinic in cases of tooth decay and abscess. If caries and abscesses are not taken care of, caries can progress to tooth loss, and if they are abscesses, they can progress to the jaw and cause serious health problems. Filling is the process of filling the gaps formed after the teeth are cleaned.
In the root canal treatment, the nerves that have died due to the abscess are removed and cleaned, and there is no interference with the dental nerves in the filling.
The filling process is performed in a shorter time compared to root canal treatment and its cost is lower than root canal treatment.
While filling process can solve more easily and superficial problems, more severe and deep cases can be resolved with root canal treatment.
The number of sessions in root canal treatment is higher than in filling. While the filling process can be handled even in a single session, root canal treatment can take several sessions.
The materials used in both treatments are very different from each other.
While root canal treatment is the process of cleaning the caries, the filling is the process of cleaning the caries and filling the cleaned area.
Click to return to top of page.FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I Feel Pain During Root Canal Treatment ?
During the canal treatment, local anesthesia is applied to your tooth. By this means, you don’t feel any pain during the treatment. In cases where there is an extra painful or infected tooth, our specialist doctors use advanced anesthesia techniques.
How Long Does Root Canal Treatment Take ?
Depending On The Condition Of The Tooth, Root canal treatment can be completed in one or two sessions. Root canal treatment for a non-infected tooth is usually completed in a single session.
Do I Feel Pain After The Root Canal Treatment ?
As the vascular-nerve package of the tooth is removed during root canal treatment, it is no longer affected by cold and hot. There may be slight pain or tenderness in the first few days after the treatment, and it will decrease and go away after the first 3 days. It should not be forgotten that the tooth needs time to heal, like any other tissue in our body.
What should I do if my pain doesn’t relieve for a long time after the canal treatment ?
If the pain still continues in the future, canal filling may be incomplete or inadequate; in this case, the necessary treatment should be performed by consulting the canal specialists.
Click to return to top of page.With our guaranteed treatments, we are always here for you.
Don’t hesitate to contact us, We will be happy to help anytime.