Endodontic treatment
Treatment of root canals of teeth is rightly considered the top class in dentistry. The quality of treatment of root canals and the professionalism of the doctor determines the long-term prognosis for the tooth: functioning or removal. After all, the key to high-quality endodontic treatment is the skills and knowledge of the doctor, appropriate equipment (microscope, tools for processing and filling root canals), modern treatment protocols in accordance with international standards.
What is an endodontist?
An endodontist is a dental specialist, who deals with root canals treatment of the teeth, namely diseases such as pulpitis and periodontitis.
What is pulpitis and periodontitis?
Pulpitis is inflammation of the neurovascular bundle of the tooth. The inflammation can be provoked by chronic caries, inflammatory processes in the gums, stress, hypothermia of the body or violation of the general condition of the body.
Periodontitis is an inflammatory process at the top of the tooth root. Most often, it occurs after poor-quality treatment of pulpitis (pulp residues can cause the development of further inflammation) or independently (due to an untimely treated tooth).
Periodontitis may be accompanied by swelling of the gums near the infected tooth, increased sensitivity to cold, hot, acidic food, pain when biting on the tooth.
Pulpitis and periodontitis require immediate treatment, since there is a danger of tooth loss, damage to neighboring teeth and a threat of inflammation of the tooth bone.
What are some symptoms that indicate you may need root canal treatment?
The signal for root canal treatment is:
- throbbing or acute pain
- swelling of the gums in the root area
- pain when biting on the tooth
- hypersensitivity to cold, hot food.
Root canal treatment for medical reasons – an important step before the planned orthopedic treatment or implantation. Even one untreated root canal can give complications and call into question the success of all orthopedic and implantological interventions.
Our Dentist
Anastasia Pustovoit
Provides dental treatment for adults and children, including treatment of dental caries, pulpitis, and periodontitis, root canal therapy, and dental restorations. Also treats diseases of the oral mucosa.
Why re-treat a root canal?
Endodontic treatment is a rather complicated and lengthy procedure. Previously, most dental clinics performed canal treatment without the use of a dental microscope. Therefore, it was not always possible to completely clean out the infected root canals, fully go through the winding canals and qualitatively seal.
Over time, when part of the infected tissue remains in the canal, there may be a recurrence of inflammation.
Additional re-treatment of root canals is carried out in such cases:
- poor quality of previous treatment
- on the X-ray image, there is a noticeable inflammation around the root that does not cure at defined time frame
- infection got into the pulp of the tooth. This happens with poor-quality treatment of caries, loose fit of restoration material to the sides of the tooth.
What is the difference between primary and secondary endodontic treatment
Primary endodontic treatment includes cleaning root canals from infected pulp and filling them.
Secondary endodontic treatment consists of opening the dental canals, removing the old filling material, other residues (if any) and re-filling the canals.
How many visits (clinical appointments) should/can be for root canal treatment
Primary endodontic treatment should be performed per visit. But we must consider that some patients may have complex anatomy of the root canals, and it may take more time for quality treatment.
In the presence of an inflammatory process, sometimes, the doctor can leave the medicine in the root canals. The term of the action of the drug is clearly defined, and the patient is obliged to come to the visit at the specified and previously discussed with the doctor time.
Secondary endodontic treatment should also ideally be performed in one visit. However, it depends on the anatomical structure of the root canals, the quality, and material of the filling. During the first visit, the doctor can open the root canals, conduct a revision and determine the prognosis of the tooth, clean them from the old filling material, conduct antiseptic treatment. High-quality filling of root canals can be carried out by a doctor on a second visit.
What is root canal treatment?
Root canal treatment starts with the diagnosis of problems. On X-ray examination, the doctor analyzes the volume of intervention in the root system. Next, considers the localization of the inflammatory process, the size, and length of the root canals and roots of teeth.
The next step is to prepare access to the channels. Then anesthesia is carried out, tooth is isolated from saliva thanks to cofferdam and tooth enamel is prepared, or old filling material is removed.
Further, under the dental microscope control, infected pulp tissues or old filling material are removed, mechanical and antiseptic treatment of root canals and their obturation (filling) are carried out.
Using a microscope allows:
- identify the slightest changes in tooth enamel, cracks (fractures) of root canals, remnants of old filling material, additional canals, successfully navigate canals with complex anatomy (convoluted canals)
- control the quality of cleaning the dental canal and filling.
High-quality endodontic treatment is the best way to keep your teeth functioning.
Cost of basic endodontic treatment services
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