What is a root canal treatment?

A root canal procedure is an operation used in the dental industry to remove the nerves and blood vessels at the centre of a tooth, if it has become infected. Thousands of people across the UK undergo this treatment every year, and although it does have a surgical element, the procedure itself does not carry a huge health risk. The operation involves creating an opening though the mineral layers of the tooth, then using specialist instruments to scrape out the inner chamber – called the pulp, and finally filling the vacated space with some kind of bonding material. After a root canal treatment, the tooth is essentially dead, but it can still remain functional, as most dentists will fit a crown (sometimes called a cap) over the remaining fragments, to avoid an extraction. This might sound like a scary procedure, but the patient is anaesthetised beforehand, so no pain should be felt at all.

Why would I need a root canal treatment?

The most common reason for needing a root canal performing is tooth decay; when bacterial waste produces acid that breaks down the enamel, cavities begin to form, which leaves the delicate inner workings at risk of infection. Dental decay is very common among people of all ages in the UK, probably due to a rise in unhealthy eating habits, and lack of education about good oral hygiene. When bacteria have managed to penetrate the structure of the tooth and attack the pulp, the only choice is to perform a root canal treatment, to stop the infection spreading to the rest of the teeth and possibly the nervous system as a whole. If the problem is left to progress without treatment, there is a chance that teeth could begin to fall out, and the jaw bone could deteriorate to an irreparable degree.

The best way to avoid needing a root canal is to take good care of your teeth; brush twice a day for at least two minutes, floss regularly, and always attend dental appointments. For more information on how you can avoid the pitfalls of tooth decay, call the Pearl Dental Clinic and arrange a consultation today.

What is involved in the root canal treatment?

The first stage of any dental procedure is to pin point the cause of the problem and identify the solution, in other words; diagnosis and treatment. Your dentist will begin by examining your teeth thoroughly, to find out which teeth are affected by the problem, they will also take x-rays, in order to determine what’s going on under the gum line. This helps them to build an accurate picture of the damage caused, and gives them a starting point for the root canal treatment. If your teeth are in a particularly bad condition, it may also be necessary to clean them and remove any plaque build-up that could compound progress – your dentist may carry this out, or they might refer you to an oral hygienist.

Before the root canal can begin, you need to be anaesthetised; this is normally done using some form of local, injectable anaesthetic – as most dentists prefer to keep their patients conscious and fairly lucid as they carry out the procedure. There are several complications that can arise from using general anaesthetic, and this would also require a second medical professional to be present as you are undergoing treatment. When the area is completely numb – which should only take a few minutes – the dentist will use a drill to remove a portion from the top of your tooth, this allows them direct access to the central pulp chamber. At this point, you will be aware of the vibrations from the drill and other sensations of movement, but you won’t be able to feel any pain. Once inside the tooth, the dentist uses a specially designed tool to remove the infected tissue.

After the canal has been excavated, it’s important to clean it out completely, to remove any remaining bacteria or tissue particles and prevent the problem from recurring. Antibacterial solution is used to wash down the empty canal, and then the area is left to dry. Your dentist will then decide whether to fill the tooth and fit a crown over the top, or to use one of those techniques on their own; this depends on the size and position of the tooth, and how much filler material would be necessary. Most dentists would chose to fit a crown over a filling, but if it is a large filling, this can sometimes cause problems with the structure of the teeth.

How long does a root canal treatment take?

That depends on which tooth needs to be treated, as some teeth have more roots than others; large molars have three roots, whereas incisors and teeth closer to the front of the mouth only have one, which means treatment will take longer with the back teeth than it would with the front. It is not always necessary to remove all the pulp, sometimes one or two roots can be saved, to keep the tooth alive, but this can occasionally cause the problem to resurface, or lead to complications during surgery, so it is often beneficial to just remove all the tissue.

In a lot of cases, it is not the excavation part of the treatment that takes the most amount of time; it is the filling procedure, as this requires some reshaping and filing of the empty canal, which can be tricky. A simple one root canal shouldn’t take more than an hour to complete, but if there is more than one tooth that needs filling, or the damage is more extensive than first thought, it can sometimes take several hours. It’s also possible that you will be fitted with a temporary filling after the initial procedure, then asked to return after a few days to have the permanent version put in place; this is usually necessary if the treatment has been particularly invasive or drawn-out.