Root canal treatment - endodontics

Root canal treatment is one of the departments of dentistry dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of pulp diseases and periapical tissues of the tooth root. Known as root canal treatment.

The most common causes of pulp diseases are bacteria and their source – carious defects, leaky fillings, prosthetic restorations, periodontal disease and dental injuries.

Bacteria develop in the tooth’s root chamber and root canal, therefore the dead pulp is the perfect medium for them. Over time, they penetrate the bone surrounding the tooth root causing inflammation and what is very important, they spread with blood throughout the body.

Pulp diseases may be often accompanied by very severe and prolonged pain reaction to cold and heat as well as biting and spontaneous pain.

It happens that the inflammatory process of the pulp develops asymptomatically and we get to know about the presence of inflammation around the root of the tooth accidentally or at the least expected moment, e.g. during vacation abroad.

That is why systematic care of the dentist and taking X-ray check-ups ordered by the doctor are very important.

Endodontics at SmileClinic means certainty of safety, precision, effectiveness and durability of treatment.

What is root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment in our clinic is carried out in accordance with global standards. Endodontists perform them under the enlargement of the operating microscope, thanks to which they can find in the tooth all main and additional canals, remove infected pulp or old cement or even broken endodontic instruments left in the canals.

A necessary condition for a treatment to be carefully carried out is to find all the canals in the tooth, carefully develop them and fill them tightly with the right material up to the root tip.

Each stage is controlled radiologically by means of radiovisiography. The whole procedure should take place with the use of tight isolation of the tooth from the oral environment, especially from saliva, for which the rubber dam is used. Meeting all of the mentioned  conditions allows the prognosis of such treatment to be the best, and thus the tooth will be healthy for as long as possible.

To make our patients feel comfortable, this treatment always takes place under local anesthesia.

Computed tomography is irreplaceable for very complex endodontic treatments. It gives a three-dimensional x-ray image of the tooth and the surrounding bone. It allows for a thorough analysis of the tooth anatomy before starting treatment and for assessing the course of treatment at every stage.

Well conducted root canal treatment is the foundation for oral health and the health of the whole body, because in this way we stop the growth of bacteria in the root canals and thus prevent it from getting into the bloodstream.

What distinguishes endodontics at SmileClinic and why treatment in our clinic gives long-lasting effects?

  • The rubber dam ensures the efficiency and effectiveness of the doctor’s work.
 

Rubber dam is a sheet of latex rubber, which is stretched on a special frame and adheres very closely to the tooth that is being treated. A perforated latex leaf tightly surrounds the treatment area improving its visibility and protecting it against the access of saliva and bacteria.

In addition, it improves and shortens the time of the procedure, as there is no need to constantly replace the lignin rollers. It also has protective functions. Thanks to the rubber dam, we are protected against possible irritation of soft tissues by flushing agents used in disinfection of canals, as well as against accidental injury with a drill or the access of instruments to the respiratory tract.

  • Work in enlargement is characterized by very high accuracy of treatment.
 

Thanks to the enlargement of the operating microscope, we can control each stage of endodontic treatment. We are able to enlarge the operational field up to 20X. It is irreplaceable when it comes to getting to know the anatomy of the tooth canal and checking the quality of its development and filling tightness as well. It allows to perform very complex procedures. With repeated endodontic treatment, it helps in precise removal of broken instruments.

  • Tight and precise closing of the canals thanks to the liquid gutta-percha.
 

After developing and decontaminating the root canal, we proceed to fill it. For this purpose, we use gutta-percha – a material of plant origin, which when heated has thermoplastic properties. An additional advantage of gutta-percha is fantastic biocompatibility with periapical tissues, ease of introduction into the canal, as well as bactericidal properties. It fills the branches of the main canals and gives contrast on the x-ray image.

  • Confidence of treatment thanks to RVG control.
 

At SmileClinic, we take a series of RVG photos to be 100% sure that the treatment is going well during the procedure and after it.

Perfectly performed root canal treatment is the foundation of health not only of the teeth, but of the entire human body

The course of root canal treatment

  1. Firstly, dentists remove infected pulp from all the root canals. There is one root canal in anterior teeth, but molars have four or more root canals. These canals often have a diameter of a hair and can have a very irregular course, hence high-quality specialist equipment is needed for root canal treatment.
  2. Development of all canals in the tooth along their entire length enables accurate disinfection of their interior, which determines the good prognosis of the treatment.
  3. The developed and thoroughly disinfected canal should be tightly filled along its entire length up to the root tip with a suitable material.
  4. The final stage of the treatment is tooth reconstruction, which aims to protect against its fracture and the re-penetration of bacteria into the canal.

Why sometimes it is necessary to repeat the root canal treatment the so-called reendo?

One of the basic research considering our new patients is careful assessment of all root canals of treated teeth. For this purpose, we use computed tomography, i.e. three-dimensional X-ray diagnostics.

We assess whether all root canals are filled to the root apex, whether they are properly developed and whether there are no inflammatory changes in the bone around such tooth. If any of these elements raises our doubts, we qualify the tooth for repeated root canal treatment.

The goal of such treatment is to eliminate bacterial infection in the canals, to treat inflammatory changes around the top of the tooth and to eliminate foci of infection that are dangerous to the health of the whole body.

Is every tooth suitable for reendo?

If the tooth is badly damaged and prosthetic reconstruction is not possible, then reendo is unreasonable. Consideration should be given to removing the tooth and supplementing it with an implant. In this case, it is the best solution that gives long-lasting and much more stable treatment effects than trying to save badly damaged teeth.

Teeth that are often unsuitable for root canal treatment are injured teeth, especially if the fracture fissure runs deep subgingival or along the root of the tooth. In such cases, the only form of treatment is to remove the tooth and supplement it with an implant.