What are the steps of Root Canal Treatment?

This is dental treatment that targets treating infection or damage to the pulp of the tooth, located inside the tooth. Common steps are:

1. Examination and X-rays:

The dentist examines the tooth. He may take X-rays to check the amount of damage and find the part that is infected.

2. Anesthesia:

First, a patient is given local anesthesia so that the tooth and the surrounding area get numb, thus avoiding pain in the course of the procedure.

3. Isolation:

The tooth is isolated with a rubber dam, thus keeping it dry from saliva throughout the procedure.

4. Access opening:

A small opening access is made by the dentist through the crown of the tooth; hereby access is gained into the pulp chamber and root canals.

5. Cleaning and shaping:

The infected or pathologic pulp tissue is removed from the pulp chamber and root canals by special instruments. Once they are removed, the canals are shaped for filling.

6. Irrigation:

An antimicrobial solution is used to rinse these canals for removing remaining debris and disinfecting the area.

7. Filling:

After cleaning and shaping the canals, they are filled with some biocompatible material; usually a rubber-like material called gutta-percha to close up the space and prevent re-infection.

8. Restoration:

After performing a root canal, the crown access opening needs to be closed off by a temporary or permanent filling. For the majority of cases, the tooth is reinforced further with an additional layer of protection by the dental crown, especially when the tooth was badly damaged.

9. Follow-up:

A follow-up visit could be needed by the dentist to check on healing and that the tooth functions properly.

Though each case differs to some aspect, the extent of the infection or the damage of the tooth varies. Proper oral hygiene generally is the way regarding post-treatment care, and there is some amount of discomfort that is involved, which can be relieved with over-the-counter pain medicines.

Important to note: though it is a feared treatment, a root canal has a bad reputation as being very painful. With advances in anesthesia and technology, the painful procedure for what it was today is not like it used to be.