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An Endodontist Explains "What Is A Root Canal"?

We use our teeth so much during the day that we often forget how complex they are, that is, until we feel pain. Underneath each tooth is a soft tissue area, called the pulp, that carries nerves, veins, arteries, and lymph vessels. These are all channels of connection between our teeth and the rest of our bodies. These connections run from the top of the tooth down to its root by way of a root canal. Each tooth has at least one root canal, but may have as many as four or five, depending on the number of roots below that tooth.

How Do Root Canal Problems Occur?

When a tooth is cracked or has a deep cavity, saliva and the bacteria in it can get to the tooth pulp. An infection is likely to result and, without root canal treatment by endodontist, the pulp will die. The infection may cause pus to gather at the tip of the root, creating an abscess that can attack the bone. The abscess must be cleaned up to prevent deterioration, and the damaged tooth pulp must be removed by a root canal dentist.

Problems That Cause Root Canal Pain

When the pulp is damaged or dead, pressure is created inside the tooth. That pressure creates pain when you bite down on the tooth, chew on it, or when it feels the heat or cold of food and drinks.

Saving the Tooth with a Root Canal

Repairing the root canal is the way to save the entire tooth. The other alternative is to pull the tooth entirely. However, leaving that space empty may create other problems, like making chewing and biting more difficult. Teeth may also shift their position if missing teeth are not there to hold the space. If you decide to have the dentist pull the tooth and replace it with a denture or bridge, the cost will be significantly more than the cost of a root canal procedure.

What Is Root Canal Therapy and How Is It Performed?

To prevent further damage, ease any discomfort, and save the tooth, your dentist or endodontist (a dentist specializing in treating the tooth pulp) will perform a root canal procedure. Without endodontics therapy, tooth loss will occur. This therapy requires one or more dental visits to complete, depending on the extent of the infection.

Endodontists will first administer medication to make sure you will be comfortable. An opening is made in the top of your tooth and the diseased pulp removed. The root canal will be thoroughly cleaned and enlarged so it can be filled with a material that prevents bacteria from re-entering. Your tooth will not be permanently sealed until the infection has cleared. When the root canal is filled and the infection is gone, your tooth may need to be covered with a crown that will look and function just like your original tooth.

Root canal therapy is a tooth-saver. It has a very high rate of success (more than 90%)! To follow up, your dentist or endodontist will make sure that the root canal is intact and that the infection has cleared.

Endodontists recognize that root canal therapy has an image problem. Part of this is due to the type of treatment available more than a half-century ago when local anesthetics weren't as effective. It was also before the advent of antibiotics used to control the infection and pain associated with it. Research and technology now offer your endodontist valuable ways to reduce patient pain and anxiety during the root canal procedure. Probably, the greatest factor contributing to this negative perception is that people wait until they are in pain before seeking treatment. Obviously, regular visits are an important preventive measure.

With modern therapy, root canal treatment can be approached with confidence -- getting to the root of the problem, but without the pain.

By Brian J. Gray, DDS, MAGD, FICO

Dental Visits - The Endodontic Examination Appointment

On most occasions, the endodontic examination and the endodontic consultation take place at the same visit. Most dentists prefer this. This section will look at each process separately.

What Is the Purpose of the Endodontic Examination?

The purpose of the endodontic examination is to determine the state of health of the pulpal tissues of a tooth or group of teeth. The dentist hopes to collect specific information to assist in diagnosis and treatment planning. During the examination portion of the visit, the dentist will:

• Review the patient's medical history and evaluate the patient's current medical status and in order to determine how it might influence the dental diagnosis and/or treatment plan.
• Review the patient's dental history and, in particular, its relationship to the specific reason for the visit, also called the "chief complaint."
• Perform a thorough clinical examination.
• Perform certain endodontic tooth tests to help establish an accurate diagnosis of the condition of the pulpal tissue.
• Perform a radiographic examination. Two or three different radiographic angles of the same area are often required to adequately visualize the various teeth, the root canal spaces within each tooth, and the surrounding bone and structures. Since a single radiograph is a two-dimensional picture of a three-dimensional object, two or more radiographs with different angulations can provide important additional information. Radiographs reveal many things that the dentist is unable to see with the clinical examination alone.

What Is the Purpose of the Endodontic Consultation?

The purpose of the endodontic consultation is to present a root canal treatment plan to the patient. Once the dentist has collected and evaluated all of the diagnostic information, the goals of the consultation visit are to:

• Share the examination findings and the resultant diagnosis with the patient.
• Discuss the prognosis.
• Discuss the treatment recommendations and any perceived complications.
• Discuss the treatment alternatives and their respective ramifications.
• Discuss the number and length of appointments necessary to complete the recommended treatment.
• Review the cost of the recommended treatment and the various treatment options.
• Answer questions that the patient may have regarding the diagnosis and various treatment options.

On occasion, the dentist may need to consult with other professionals or obtain additional information before all of the goals listed above can be accomplished.

By Clifford J. Ruddle, DDS, in collaboration with Philip M. Smith, DDS