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Root canal procedure
To understand the usefulness of root canal treatment, you need to know a little about the anatomy of teeth. Teeth are made up of three main parts: enamel, dentin and dental pulp. Enamel is the white outer part of the teeth, under which is dentin, which is yellowish in color and less solid than enamel. In the center of the teeth is the dental pulp, which contains the nerves and blood vessels that are found in channels within the tooth and its roots.
It is when the dental pulp is affected by an infection that root canal therapy is required. Several factors can lead to such an infection, the most common being a deep cavity, a dental fracture following a trauma or a broken filling. All of these incidents represent an entry point for bacteria to the dental pulp. The goal of root canal therapy is to remove all infected tissue from the pulp, then disinfect, fill and seal the canals.
It is important to understand that if the dental pulp becomes infected, the infection can spread and lead to the formation of a dental abscess. Root canal therapy is the complete removal of the nerve(s) from the tooth, extraction is a possible alternative to endodontic treatment. In short, root canal therapy is an intervention of last resort, which is sometimes essential to save a sick tooth. Without root canal therapy, the tooth must be extracted.
- A dam is placed around the tooth to be treated. This prevents saliva and bacteria from coming into contact with the tooth during the treatment ;
- The dentist makes a small opening in the tooth to access the canals ;
- The dental pulp and all infected tissue are removed ;
- Then the tooth canals are widened and disinfected ;
- The space left behind is filled with a rubber material called “gutta percha” and sealed with a filling ;
- In most cases, a dental crown is placed on top of the tooth since the root canal treatment weakens it.
Root canal treatment is often thought to be very painful. However, with modern dentistry techniques and ever-evolving dental equipment, it is now easier to perform precise procedures that have a high success rate. Nowadays, in many cases, performing a root canal is not really more painful than doing a filling.