When is a root canal treatment necessary?
There are a number of situations where the dentist decides to perform a root canal treatment. For example with:
- severe tooth or toothache
- death of the nerve due to caries (hole)
- a filling that is too deep in the root canal
- preparation for an overdenture
What Happens During a Root Canal Treatment?
A diagnosis is made by x-rays. In most cases, root canal treatment is started immediately after this diagnosis. Based on the diagnosis, the dentist will determine which treatment he/she will apply.
In almost all cases, the dentist first removes the inflamed tooth tissue. Is the root tip inflamed? Then the root canals must be cleaned. Inflamed tooth tissue and root no longer heal. That is why it is important to remove all remains and the nerve.
Your dentist drills a hole in the tooth or molar to access the root. The root canal is then completely cleaned with small files. In the case of a molar, several root canals are cleaned. The X-rays also determine how deep the root canals are. After filing, the canals are rinsed clean with a disinfecting liquid.
When all channels are clean, they are filled with gutta percha, which is a filling material. This ensures that the bacteria can no longer cause damage. Finally, the tooth must still be filled and, if necessary, built up by means of a root post for better bearing capacity. Sometimes the tooth is so weakened by the tooth decay, but also by the treatment, that a crown has to be made. That way, the tooth can last for a very long time.
