What is root canal treatment and how is it applied?
Root canal treatment is a form of treatment applied when the pulp is damaged. In previous years, the only solution when encountering diseased soft tooth tissue was extraction, but today it is possible to treat these teeth.
Why is root canal treatment performed?
First of all, it should be known that no artificial tooth can replace a natural tooth. Therefore, we should protect our natural teeth by treating them to the very end. When one of our teeth becomes diseased, one of the most well-known protection methods is root canal treatment. Root canal treatment is helpful in protecting damaged teeth. When the pulp (the soft tissue inside the tooth containing nerves, blood, and lymph vessels) is damaged to the point where it cannot repair itself, the pulp dies. This is usually caused by bacteria in broken teeth or deep cavities. Bacteria cause inflammation in the tooth's core. If the damaged or diseased pulp is not removed, the tooth and surrounding tissues become infected. And eventually, you can lose your tooth completely.
What happens if root canal treatment is not performed?
In cases where the pulp cannot heal itself due to deep decay and cracks, the tooth loses its vitality, and the infection can spread to the entire tooth. If root canal treatment is not performed, the infection can reach the tissues at the root tip. The jawbone surrounding the tooth also becomes inflamed and erodes. An abscess forms in this resulting cavity. Pain and swelling accompany this condition, and the tooth is quickly lost.
Stages of root canal treatment:
- First, anesthesia is applied to the tooth so that the treatment is painless and without discomfort.
- Then, the decay is cleaned, and when the core of the tooth is reached, the diseased and soft tissue is removed. Nerve and tissue residues are cleaned.
- The tooth canal is shaped up to the root tip. If necessary, some medications can be applied to speed up healing.
- In between sessions, the tooth is covered with temporary filling materials until the tooth heals. After it is understood that the inflammation has stopped spreading and pus no longer comes from the root tip, the canal is filled with a special filling material up to the root tip.
- In some cases, there is no need for these sessions at all, and it is possible to complete root canal treatment healthily in a single session.
How long does a root canal-treated tooth last?
If the tooth does not become infected again and precautions are taken to prevent decay, this filling can be used for life. You can catch the beginning of an infection during your regular dentist check-ups. In addition, tooth decay should be prevented again with very good oral care.
