Root canal treatment i.e. endodontic therapy is one of the most unpopular dental interventions. That is probably because the name itself is associated with something very painful. However, in reality, it is generally not a painful procedure because, as a rule, it takes place under local anesthesia, and most people who have undergone endodontic therapy describe their experience as similar to that of dental fillings.
Read more about this procedure below.
What’s Endodontic Therapy i.e Root Canal Treatment?
Endodontic therapy, also known as root canal treatment, refers to the treatment of the inside of the tooth, i.e., the part of the tooth where the dental pulp is located. To most people, the dental pulp is known as the “dental nerve.” However, in addition to the nerves, there are blood and lymph vessels, connective tissue, and many cells.
Although teeth are mostly made of hard structures such as enamel, dentin, and cementum, in each tooth there is a hollow space that, if the tooth is healthy, contains soft tissue – the dental pulp (hereinafter referred to as “dental nerve”). In the dental office, you may come across the following terms that refer to the space where the “dental nerve” is located:
The pulp chamber – A hollow space that lies more or less in the central part of the crown of the tooth.
Root canals – Each nerve enters the tooth through the tip of its root. From the point of entry, the nerve extends through the central part of the root (root canal) and enters a wider space inside the crown of the tooth, i.e., the pulp chamber.
What’s the Cost of a Root Canal Treatment?
If you need to have a root canal, then you probably want to know about the cost of a root canal. People who perform this process have clearly explained how much the procedure can cost, and on their website, you can easily find information on it. You can also find information about average expenses, cost variations between procedures, and price variations between provinces.
What Is the Function of the “Dental Nerve”?
If we said that the function of the “dental nerve” is of irreplaceable importance for the health and functioning of the teeth, we would be wrong. This tissue plays a very important role in the growth and development of the tooth, but once the tooth erupts and completes development, the most prominent function of the dental nerve is the sensory function, i.e., the ability of the tooth to respond to stimuli such as heat or cold.
If the dental nerve is present and healthy, that’s great and should be preserved, but if it’s removed with well-executed endodontic therapy, that’s good too, because you won’t even feel that you don’t have it, and the tooth will continue to function as before.
What Is the Purpose of Root Canal Treatment?
The goal of endodontic therapy is to achieve a state in which the tissues surrounding the root of the tooth will remain healthy even though the “dental nerve” has undergone degenerative changes. In this specific case, it means that the tissues surrounding the root of the tooth are not exposed to bacterial infection and/or irritating substances that act from the hollow space where the “dental nerve” used to be and are exposed after its decay or inadequate removal.
In short, root canal treatment involves mechanical cleaning and washing of bacteria, decomposed organic ingredients, and bacterial toxins that remain after the decay of the “dental nerve”.
How Is Root Canal Treatment Carried Out?
In principle, endodontic therapy is reduced to the removal of an inflamed or decayed “dental nerve,” mechanical treatment of the inner walls of the root canal, rinsing with special solutions, medication with preparations that suppress infection (if it is present), and hermetically filling the processed canal. After the end of the root canal treatment, the crown part of the tooth must be reconstructed, either by its filling or by prosthetic restorations. It is recommended that this be done within a month of filling the root canal.
You need to know that when carrying out endodontic therapy, it is necessary to take several X-rays of the tooth being treated. Deviation from this often leads to the failure of therapy and the need for repeated treatment, and in some cases, surgical intervention (operations and even tooth extraction).
Depending on the diagnosis, i.e., the state in which the tooth is, endodontic therapy can be performed in one visit, or the treatment requires several visits to the dental office.
Patients must know that no prosthesis, bridge, or implant can be compared to a well-healed tooth root, so choose carefully to whom you entrust this process. We hope that you will be satisfied and that we have made it easier for you with the given information.
