How is a root canal treated to prevent reinfection?
Root canal treatment is designed to eliminate bacteria from the infected root canal, prevent reinfection of the tooth and save the natural tooth. inside of the tooth is carefully cleaned and disinfected, then filled and sealed.
What do you need to know about a root canal?
What is a root canal? A root canal is a dental procedure involving the removal of the soft center of the tooth, the pulp. The pulp is made up of nerves, connective tissue, and blood vessels that help the tooth grow. In the majority of cases, a general dentist or endodontist will perform a root canal while you’re under local anesthesia.
How did the root canal get its name?
The term „root canal“ comes from cleaning of the canals inside a tooth’s root. Decades ago, root canal treatments often were painful. With dental advances and local anesthetics, most people have little if any pain with a root canal.
How is the pulp removed from the tooth during a root canal?
The pulp, along with bacteria and related debris, is removed from the tooth. The cleaning-out process is accomplished using root canal files. A series of these files of increasing diameter are each subsequently placed into the access hole and worked down the full length of the tooth to scrape and scrub the sides of the root canals.
What does it mean to have a root canal retreatment?
Conventional retreatment – This is the situation where the tooth’s root canal therapy is performed again, much like it was the first time. In more formal terms, this approach is referred to as orthograde or non-surgical endodontic retreatment.
What happens if the root canal of a tooth fails?
If for some reason the tooth becomes re-infected the root canal is deemed to have failed. This may be due to insufficient, inadequate cleaning, complex root formations or connections to the outside of the tooth via a fracture or lateral canal. This is probably the most common complication that occurs.
Can a root canal be scelrosed or calcified?
Scelrosed and calcified canals If a canal becomes sclerosed, (the tooth progressively lays down dentine until the nerve chamber completely closes off), it presents a challenge performing a root canal.