ROOT CANAL TOOTH
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PAINLESS ROOT CANAL THERAPY?? IS THAT POSSIBLE?? VERY. (Also called tooth root canals, dentist root canals, and abbreviated as RCT, which stands for ROOT CANAL THERAPY.)
People often associate having root canal therapy done with PAIN. On the contrary, often times the PAIN comes BEFORE the RCT. What?? Having a tooth root canal done, OFTEN ELIMINATES the pain!!
The short answer is, taking the NERVE out of the tooth. A hole is drilled in the center of the tooth, the nerve and other tissues are removed from the PULP, and the chamber/canal is sealed with a filling material. Like changing the ink in a pen! So your tooth is essentially DEAD, but it will function normally.
ON THE OTHER HAND… If you come in with a golf ball sized abscess, it is going to be VERY DIFFICULT to anesthetize the tooth, and it may hurt some. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?? Often times the root canal can be done in one procedure, but it is not uncommon to take 2 or more visits (because of the complexity of the procedure) to complete the tooth root canal, but then you will need to return to have the tooth RESTORED. RCT themselves, can take anywhere from 1 hour, to several 1-2 hour visits. All of which are done under local anesthesia, so they are usually PAINLESS. And between visits, the tooth may ache a little, but not to an intolerable level. In short, count on AT LEAST TWO VISITS to complete the RCT, and AT LEAST TWO MORE visits to restore the tooth adequately.
ACCESS: Often times it is difficult to locate the canals of the tooth. Consider, the openings to the canals are often less than 1mm in diameter. When searching for the canals, sometimes the dentist may go out the side of the tooth. Depending on where this hole is, will dictate the prognosis of the tooth.
ONCE THE CANALS ARE FOUND…. SMALL CANALS: Roots are very small, thin, and ALWAYS curved. As you get older, the canals get smaller, and more difficult to FIND. And once they are located, they are often difficult to CLEAN OUT ENTIRELY. FILES BREAK: Dentists use very SMALL, THIN files, which do have some flex, but can break off in the tooth. Depending on where the dentist is in the procedure, dictates if the file needs to be removed or not. ACCESSORY CANALS: There is usually 1-2 main canals in each root, but there are smaller canals that branch off of the main canal, which are impossible to clean. Sometimes these small canal are enough to cause the tooth to get reinfected and the RCT to fail. INADEQUATE RESTORATION: After the root canal is done, the rest of the tooth (the part above the gum) needs to be restored. If the temporary filling is left on too long, or falls out, the RCT can get reinfected. ROOT FRACTURES: The root of the tooth gets hollowed out and refilled. Sometimes the stress on the tooth is too much, and will cause the root to fracture. If this happens, most of the time the tooth will need to be extracted.
DO YOU NEED TO SEE AN ENDODONTIST (ROOT CANAL DENTIST)?? Root canals can be done on any tooth. Whether to refer you to an endodontist or to do the root canal therapy procedure personally, is at the discretion of the general dentist.
THE PROS… Endodontists/Root canal dentists have additional training in root canal procedures. ON THE OTHER HAND… It may take LONGER to get an appointment, and may be more expensive. GENERAL DENTISTS DOING ROOT CANALS: Many general dentists have taken advanced classes in root canal procedures, which makes them more than capable of doing any root canals they feel comfortable with. Also, most general dentists will do all root canals which are not on the molars (rear most) teeth. MOLARS, RETREATS, AND SURGERY are more difficult procedures, and it is at the discretion of the general dentist whether to refer or not. If you TRUST your dentist, trust their JUDGEMENT and it is normally NOT ADVISED to REQUEST to see a specialist. Unless of course you don’t trust your dentist (in which case, FIND ONE THAT YOU DO!)
After teeth have had root canals, or while in the process of, they ARE MORE BRITTLE and tend to FRACTURE more readily than a live tooth. SO… unfortunately, most teeth that have had root canals (EXCEPT FRONT TEETH) will NEED TO BE CROWNED . Or else it is VERY LIKELY it will FRACTURE. Usually either LIVING WITH THE PAIN (which is NOT recommended) or having the tooth EXTRACTED. Sorry. rot canal tooth, root canal treatment ON THE OTHER HAND… The root canal tooth may take 2 or more appointments, as will the crown. So, the payments may be able to be spread over several months. root canal tooth, root canal treatment
WHEN A ROOT CANAL TOOTH FAILS… There are several options… RETREATMENT: Often times the RCT can be retreated. This basically entails removing the filling in the canals and starting over again. APICOECTOMY AND RETROFILL: This is a surgical procedure which involves removing the very TIP of the root of the tooth, and filling the hole from the bottom. EXTRACTION: Sometimes dental root canals that fail cannot be treated, and the tooth may be lost.
BUT THERE IS HOPE,… DENTAL ROOT CANALS CAN LAST INDEFINITELY, AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOUR ALTERNATIVES TO NOT HAVING THE DENTAL ROOT CANAL TREATMENT ARE NOT GOOD!!! *Picture by Stephen F. Gordon, 1993.
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