![]() Root canal treatment is a highly successful procedure that has enabled millions of people around the world to keep teeth that would otherwise have been lost. When properly restored, a root-canal-treated tooth can last for a lifetime. This is especially helpful in back molars, which receive the most biting force. Most often, a full-coverage dental crown is recommended to completely seal the tooth and prevent it from fracturing under stress (figure 6 and 7). If you were referred to an endodontist, it is likely that you will need to return to the dentist in a few weeks to receive a more permanent filling for the access hole. Any discomfort can usually be managed with over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen. It is normal to experience some minor soreness for a few days after a root-canal procedure - but no more than you would expect from an ordinary filling. What Happens After a Root Canal Procedure? (Click to enlarge)įigure 7: A crown is used to protect the tooth from future fracture or damage. These fillings and sealers will prevent bacteria from once again entering the tooth (figure 5).įigure 6: The tooth is prepared to receive a full crown. The gutta-percha will be sealed into the tooth with adhesive cement, and then the access hole will receive a filling. Next, the canals will be flushed with antibacterial solutions, and then filled completely with a rubberlike biocompatible material called gutta-percha. An added bonus is that once this tissue is gone, the tooth will no longer be able to feel pain. You won't feel this because the area will be numb. Specially designed instruments will be used (frequently with a microscope) to remove the tooth's diseased pulp (figure 4). In order to reach the infection, a small access hole will be drilled in the tooth - through the biting surface of a back tooth or the back side of a front tooth. A thin sheet of vinyl or rubber called a dental dam will be used to keep the area around the affected tooth isolated and dry during the procedure. The first step is to make you comfortable with local anesthesia. The goal of root canal treatment is to remove all diseased tissue from inside the tooth, and to seal the tooth against re-infection. What Happens During a Root Canal Procedure? A filling material seals the tooth until the final crown is placed. (Click to enlarge)įigure 5: The canals are filled with gutta-percha which seals them up and prevents bacteria from re-entering the tooth. Without treatment, the infection could get worse.įigure 4: Specially designed instruments are used to remove the diseased pulp tissue. If you don't, sooner or later you will likely lose the tooth. But if your dentist has identified a root canal infection, you need to get it taken care of - right away. It's also possible to have a root canal problem without pain. The purpose of root canal treatment is to relieve the pain and stop the infection. The inflamed tissues often cause pain inside the tooth. The tissues within the pulp chamber and canals can become inflamed or infected by bacteria this sometimes happens when a cavity is not treated in a timely manner, or when a tooth is injured (figure 2). A main root canal can have several "accessory" canals branching off of it. ![]() A molar, which has multiple roots, will have more than one canal. A front tooth that has one root will have one main canal. In adults, these tissues aren't really needed - but they do allow the tooth to feel pain, hot, cold and other stimuli. These inner tooth spaces house the nerves and blood vessels that nourished the tooth as it was growing. It is commonly used to describe a procedure for treating inflammation or a bacterial infection deep inside a tooth, as in "you need a root canal." And it is also the name of a part of the tooth itself: the narrow, hollow channel that runs from the tip of the root to a central space in the center of the tooth called the pulp chamber (figure 1). The term "root canal" actually has two meanings. (Click to enlarge)įigure 2: The tissues within the pulp chamber and canals can become infected from the same bacteria that caused the tooth decay. Figure 1: Normal anatomy of the pulp chamber and root canals.
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