In the past, when dental pulp injuries occurred, you would most probably lose the tooth; today, thanks to new knowledge, technology and a medical treatment called the root canal, the tooth can be saved. A root canal is a routine procedure performed on a tooth in which tooth decay penetrated through the tooth enamel, into the dentin and from there into the dental pulp (the innermost tissue of the tooth compiled of blood vessels and nerves), which starts from the crown down to the ends of the roots. In this state, the dental pulp is saturated with bacteria, and the patient suffers from acute pain. When left untreated, the infection will advance and may cause bone resorption and abscess.
Root canal treatment is preformed in a number of steps:
- The opening of the tooth and eradication of the caries.
- The removal of the inflamed pulp, the cleaning and disinfecting of the root canal.
- The filling and sealing of the root canal with special material designed to preserve and protect from further infection.
- The restoration. The decision whether to restore the tooth or not depends upon the level of decay of the crown. In many cases, a tooth that underwent root canal treatment requires a crown for maintaining its structural integrity, since a large portion of the tooth is removed, causing structural weakening.
Today, root canal treatment has relatively high success rates, although nevertheless this treatment does fail at times and requires a renewed root canal treatment (endodontic retreatment), a more complex procedure. There are a number of reasons for a failed root canal, such as flawed cleaning and sealing of the root canal, undetected root canals (for example, 3 out of 4 root canals in a molar), injury to the roots and more. It is possible to minimize the chances of failure with several methods:
- Performing a panoramic radiograph/ periapical view before and after the treatment
- Performing a CT to locate all of the root canals
- Performing the root canal treatment under a dental microscope.
- Performing the root canal by an expert dentist (an endodontist).
All dentists are certified in performing root canal treatments; however, in recent years there is a rise in improperly performed treatments, due to a misdiagnosis or improper treatment, which requires retreatments and multiple additional expenses. In order to spare the medical and financial hardship, it is recommended to have the root canal preformed by an expert (an endodontist).
With us, in Topaz Dental Implantology Center, root canal treatments are performed by expert endodontists, who are properly trained and have been specializing in this field of treatments for years. Our expert endodontists are equipped with specialized equipment and are of the highest level of skill, all in order to ensure a successful result. In Topaz Dental Implantology Center the root canal treatments are preformed under a dental microscope, and incorporate the most advanced equipment, which in turn significantly increases the success rates of our treatments.
