Root Canal Treatment (Endodontics)

Root canal treatment is the process of expanding and cleaning the root canals in appropriate forms after the vessel-nerve tissue, ie the pulp (pulp) in the center and roots of the tooth is removed as a result of damage, and filling the resulting cavity with filling materials. In dentistry, the department that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases of root canals and the tissues surrounding the tooth itself is called ‘Endodontics’.  Endodontists are dentists who specialize in this area.

When Should Root Canal Treatment Be Performed?

When the caries that occurs in the tooth is not treated in time and progresses to the pulp tissue or as a result of any trauma, the pulp tissue is damaged, inflamed and results in severe toothache. The inflammation in the root of the tooth can spread to the surrounding tissues and cause the formation of various abscesses from the tooth perimeter to the face. In these cases, drug treatment alone cannot be a treatment method, root canal treatment is inevitable. If root canal treatment is not performed, the bone tissue around the root melts and disappears over time, and the tooth becomes incurable and may need to be extracted.  How long does the root canal treatment process take and is any pain felt?

Root canal treatment can be performed in a single session or in more than one session, depending on the condition of the tooth. In some cases, several sessions may be required to make sure the infection is completely eliminated, during which time the tooth is closed with a temporary filling. One session lasts about 45 minutes. This period may vary depending on the complexity of the anatomical structure of the canals.

Root canal treatment is a treatment in which the patient’s tooth is anesthetized, so it is not a painful procedure. However, there may be a numbness problem in very painful or common infected teeth. In this case, this problem is prevented by advanced numbing methods.

What is Root Canal Retreatment?

A feature of root canal treatment is that it can be renewed when necessary. If it has been done before and failed, the removal and reshaping of the materials used in the filling of the canal, elimination of microorganisms with the drugs used, and the refilling of the canals is called the retreatment process.

Why is root canal treatment renewed?

• The first canal filling is not sufficient for various reasons
• Problems experienced at any stage of root canal treatment, such as the fact that there are areas that cannot be reached due to anatomical reasons
• Fracture or leakage of the upper filling after the end of the treatment
• Infection of the canal filling as a result of a new bruise or fracture in the relevant tooth
• Reasons such as the persistence of the existing infection, which does not heal with root canal treatment, and requires waiting for medication in the canals.

Root canal treatments and regeneration of root canal treatment are the last stage of treatments to keep the tooth in the mouth. In cases where root canal treatment cannot be repeated or performed at an adequate level, a surgical procedure should be considered.