Endodontics
(Root Canal Dentistry)
Endodontics is the area of dentistry concerned with the tooth pulp (the soft inner tissue of the tooth) and the tissues surrounding the root.
The various treatment procedures done in Endodontics are Root Canal Treatment, Pulpotomy, Apicoectomy, etc.
Root canal treatment is performed to save a tooth when the pulp (which is made up of the nerves and blood vessels etc.), becomes infected or damaged. This can be due to caries, injury, gum infection, etc. For many people who experience tooth pain or discomfort in the tooth, Root Canal Therapy is recommended.
For this treatment an opening is made into the tooth, the diseased or dead pulp tissue is removed, the pulp chamber and root canals are cleaned, sterilized, and filled, thus sealing the root canals. The treatment is comfortable and pain-free.
After root canal treatment, the tooth is still attached to the bone, just like any normal tooth and its function is not affected. Only the inside of the tooth loses the pulp tissue (which may be diseased or dead), during the treatment. A crown may be needed to protect the tooth from fracturing and to restore its esthetics.
Sometimes root canal therapy is done intentionally for a tooth that is otherwise healthy, in order to shorten the length of the tooth (which cannot be done without doing Root Canal Treatment, because shortening of the length of the tooth may cause sensitivity or pain), or in order to correct the position of a tooth in order to use it as a support for a bridge or for other reasons.
Saving a tooth this way is better for your health than extraction, and is less costly than replacing the missing tooth.
Non-Surgical Root Canal Retreatment: Retreatment is necessary when bacteria have re-entered the tooth for which Root Canal Treatment had already been done once... This is usually due to decay or untreated canal areas. The patient may experience swelling or pain in chewing. Sometimes a patient may have no symptoms, but an x-ray shows that there is a problem with a tooth that has previously undergone root canal therapy. In such cases, retreatment is indicated.
Apicoectomy: In some patients, even after root canal therapy, the inflammation and infection may persist around the tip of the root or roots of the affected tooth or teeth. In such cases, an Apicoectomy may be required. The Apicoectomy or Root end resection is the removal of the root tip and the surrounding infected tissue of an infected or abscessed tooth. Then a root-end filling is placed to seal the end of the root canal, the gum is repositioned, and a few sutures (stitches) are placed to hold the gum tissue back in its place until healing occurs. After a few months, the bone around the root-end has healed, and all symptoms are gone.
If you have been apprehensive about Root Canal Treatment and have been postponing your dental appointment, do not delay it any further. Make an appointment today itself. A tooth lost is gone forever. Better save it while you can…..