ROOT CANAL THERAPY
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A 'root canal' is one of the
most commonly performed dental
procedures. Approximately 16 million root canal treatments are
performed in the United States each year. This simple treatment
can preserve your natural teeth and prevent the need for bridges,
dentures and dental implants.
At the center of each tooth
is the pulp, which is a soft connective tissue. Pulp contains several
types of cells, nerve fibers, lymphatic's and blood vessels that
help to build and maintain the surrounding tooth.
Infection of the pulp can be
caused by trauma to the tooth, deep decay (caries), cracks and chips, or
repeated dental procedures. Symptoms of the infection and subsequent
inflammation can be identified as visible injury or swelling of the tooth,
sensitivity to temperature and/or pain in the tooth and gums.
If you experience any of these
symptoms, your dentist will most likely recommend root canal therapy to
eliminate the diseased pulp. The injured pulp is removed and the root canal
system is thoroughly cleaned and sealed. This therapy usually involves
local anesthesia and may be completed in one or more visits depending on
the treatment required. The success rate for this type of treatment is
over 90%.
The following sequence
explains the basic steps of root canal therapy:
1. An access opening into the pulp is made through the
top surface of the tooth.
2. Small files are inserted to the full length of each
root canal.
3. Sequentially larger files are used to create
a tapered shape within each canal.
4. Each canal is then filled and sealed and a temporary
filling is placed into the access opening.
5. The patient returns to their Dentist for placement of a
crown.
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If your tooth is not amenable to
endodontic treatment or if the chance of success is unfavorable, you will be
informed at the time of consultation or when a complication becomes evident
during or after treatment. Local anesthesia will be used during treatment to
eliminate discomfort. You will be able to drive home after your treatment,
and most patients feel comfortable returning to their normal routine
immediately after treatment. If you are particularly anxious about your
treatment appointment, an oral sedative may be prescribed, in which case you
should have someone come along to escort you to and from the
appointment.
After your root canal therapy
has been completed, a record of your treatment will be sent to
your dentist. You should contact their office for a follow-up
restoration after leaving our office. Your dentist
will recommend what type of restoration would best protect
your tooth so that you can make the right decision.
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ENDODONTIC RETREATMENT
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With the appropriate care, teeth
that have undergone endodontic treatment will last as long as other natural
teeth. Yet, a small percentage of teeth that have received treatment may
fail to heal completely or pain may
persist. Occasionally, symptoms may re-occur months or years
after treatment. If so, Endodontic Retreatment may be indicated.
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Improper healing may be caused by:
- Curved or narrow canals
that perhaps were not able to be treated during the initial
treatment.
- Complicated canals that
went undetected during the initial treatment.
- The crown or restoration
not being placed within the appropriate amount of time
following the procedure.
- Bacteria present in the
saliva re-contaminated the inside of the tooth.
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In
some cases, new problems can influence a tooth that was successfully
treated:
New decay can expose a root
canal filling material, causing infection.
A cracked or loose filling or crown can expose the tooth to new infection.
Once retreatment has been
selected as a solution to your problem, the endodontist will reopen your
tooth to gain access to the root canal filling material and then clean
the canals while carefully examining the inside of the problematic
tooth. Once cleaned, the canals are filled and sealed and a temporary
filling is placed in the tooth.
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At this point, you will need to
return to your dentist as soon as possible in order to have a new crown or
restoration placed on the tooth in order to restore full functionality.
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SURGICAL ROOT CANAL THERAPY
Aka: "Apicoectomy" or
"Root-end Surgery." This type of procedure may be indicated in the
rare circumstance that both initial Root Canal Therapy and Retreatment fail to
yield satisfactory healing, or in cases in which non-surgical retreatment is
not possible. Examples of the latter case may be anatomic complications
within the crown of the tooth, presence of a well-done post and/or core in
the tooth, or other individual factors that can be discussed at the
consultation visit.
How is this type of treatment
performed?
A small incision is made in the
gum tissue to expose the bone and surrounding inflamed and/or infected tissue.
The damaged tissue is removed along with a small portion of the root tip.
A root-end filling, or 'retrofill', is then placed into the root to prevent
re-infection. The gum tissue is then sutured back into place. The bone
naturally heals around the root over a period of months restoring full function
and health.
Following the procedure, there may
be some minor discomfort or slight swelling while the incision heals.
This is normal for any surgical procedure. We will provide you with
detailed homecare instructions and will be available to assist you as
needed.
