Dr. Gururaj Rao

Root canal treatment is an effective procedure which is used to treat a tooth whose pulp has been infected. The treatment helps to remove the elimination and further protects the tooth from future microbial attacks. Root canals are physical hollows in a tooth which naturally consists of nerves, blood vessels and other cellular beings.

Learning about Root Canal Treatment-

Before one decides to go for root canal treatment, it is important to realize that this method is useful for preserving a dead tooth, not to save one. So, why does one keep the old tooth which is beyond repair? One can pull out the dead tooth and fill the gap with an implant along with an artificial tooth. However, the main reason for doing this is because it is much simpler than an implant. Even though the old tooth is dead, one can immensely benefit from keeping it as its structure will help you to chew food and talk properly.

In root canal therapy, the doctor cuts off the infected nerve tissue inside the tooth so as to prevent it from infecting the rest of the tooth. But there are consequences of root canal therapy as well. A root canal procedure makes the tooth brittle and much more fracture prone. This is because the inside of the tooth has been removed leaving the outside shell dry and brittle. This is why a root canal therapy often involves a second procedure called crown. A root canaled tooth needs to be protected because the tissue inside of it has been removed. Here comes the crown. The crown is a strong outer covering which is even stronger than the enamel which preserves the structure of the tooth thus preventing fractures.

Failure to undergo permanent restoration placement by the dentist after root canal treatment within next few weeks may result in failure of the root canal treatment due to decay, infection, tooth fracture and/or loss of the tooth structure.

Factors Determining the Success of Root Canal Treatment-

A root canal therapy is an attempt at saving the remains of your tooth. However, sometimes the damage is too much or the enamel is too brittle to withstand the procedure. These factors may cause the loss of a tooth.

Many factors contribute to the success of root canal treatment and not all factors can be determined in advance. Some of the factors are:

1. individual resistance to infection.
2. the size, shape and location of the canals.

A case may be more difficult if the tooth has blocked, curved, or narrow canals. The treatment may not relieve the symptoms and treatment can sometimes fail for unexplained reasons. If treatment fails, other procedures (including re-treatment or surgery) may be necessary to retain the tooth, or it may have to be extracted. During and after treatment, the patient may experience some pain or discomfort, swelling, bleeding and loosening of dental restorations and may also need antibiotics to treat any associated infections.

Another factor in this method is the development of an abscess near the root of the tooth if some of the infection remains back or if the antibiotics are not effective enough. Root canal instruments sometimes separate (break) inside the canal which may or may not effect the prognosis. If the separated fragment cannot be retrieved, it may be sealed inside the root canal, or require additional treatment in the future.

Failure to undergo permanent restoration placement by the dentist after root canal treatment within next few weeks may fail if the root canal treatment, decay, infection, tooth fracture and/or loss of the tooth.

Alternative Techniques-

The alternative techniques to root canal therapy include either no treatment or tooth extraction. Tooth extraction may be followed by any prosthetic replacement procedure like dental implants or a removable denture. One can also fix a partial denture which is commonly called a bridge in medical terms.

Conducting no treatments is often accompanied by factors like occasional pains, infection and a possibility of deterioration in the dental infection such that the tooth will no longer be restorable. If a massive loss of tooth structure occurs, then extraction may be the only option.

Taking all factors into consideration, root canal therapy is a very effective method for removing dental infection and is the best possible method in the field. If you wish to discuss any specific problem, you can consult a dentist.