Root canal treatment - nerve removal:
Root canal therapy is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or infected.
Root canal therapy is performed when the pulp which is composed of nerves and blood vessels in the tooth becomes infected or damaged. During root canal therapy, the pulp is removed, and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed.
There is an idea among people that tooth extraction is a painful treatment method, but most people who have done tooth extraction admit that the experience of tooth pain before nerve extraction is far more than the treatment method. In addition, before the nerve extraction, your mouth will be completely numb.
What Is Dental Pulp?
The tooth consists of two main parts, one is the crown of the tooth, which is its white part, and the other is the tooth root, which is the hollow space where the nerve, blood vessels and soft pulp cells are located.
The nerve of the tooth is located in the root of the tooth, after the tooth emerges from the gum, the nerve of the tooth is not vitally important for the health and function of the tooth, its only function is the sensation that conveys the sensation of heat and cold. The presence or absence of a nerve will not affect the daily function of the tooth. However, after nerve extraction or root canal treatment, the tooth has a shorter life and becomes more fragile.
Why Does the Pulp Need to Be Removed?
When the pulp is damaged, it breaks down and bacteria begin to multiply in the pulp chamber. Bacteria and other debris from the dying pulp can cause a tooth infection or abscess. An abscess is a pus-filled pocket that forms at the end of a tooth root. In addition to an abscess, an infection in the root canal can cause the following:
- Swelling that may spread to other areas of the face, neck, or head
- Bone loss around the root tip
- Drainage problems that spread from the roots outwards. A hole can be made from the side of the tooth, with drainage to the gum or through the cheek to the skin.
What Are the Signs That Root Canal Therapy Is Needed?
Signs you may need root canal therapy include:
- Severe toothache pain upon chewing or application of pressure
- Prolonged sensitivity (pain) to hot or cold temperatures (after the heat or cold has been removed)
- Discoloration (darkening) of the tooth
- Swelling and tenderness in nearby gums
- A persistent or recurring pimple on the gums
Sometimes no symptoms are present.
The Root Canal Therapy Procedure
Nerve extraction treatment is performed by a dentist or an endodontist, an endodontist is a dentist who specializes in the causes, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dental pulp diseases and injuries.
The first step in this procedure is taking pictures to see the shape of the root canals and determine if there are signs of infection in the surrounding bone.
Your dentist will then use a local anesthetic to numb the area. In fact, anesthesia may not even be necessary because the nerve of the tooth is dead, but most dentists use anesthetic to make the patient more comfortable.
In the next step, to keep the area of the tooth dry, the dentist places a plastic protector around the tooth, and then a hole is made in the tooth to access the underlying layer, and the pulp along with bacteria and other waste tissue is removed from the tooth.
When the tooth is completely cleaned, it should be filled. If the denervation therapy is completed in one day, a temporary dressing is placed on the outside of the hole to leave the tooth until the next appointment to prevent it. The name gutta percha is placed inside the root canals of the teeth. Restorative materials are also used to extract teeth.
Complications of Root Canal Therapy
The following are the common causes of infection:
There were more root canals than usual in one tooth (that is, one of them was left untreated).
Incomplete or insufficient restoration that causes bacteria to penetrate the inner tissue of the tooth from the repaired layer and infect it.
Degradation of the filling material over time, which causes bacteria to enter the inner area of the tooth and infect it.
Sometimes retreatment can be successful.
- There were more root canals than usual in one tooth (that is, one of them was left untreated).
- Incomplete or insufficient restoration that causes bacteria to penetrate the inner tissue of the tooth from the repaired layer and infect it.
- Degradation of the filling material over time, which causes bacteria to enter the inner area of the tooth and infect it.
Sometimes retreatment can be successful.
Alternatives to Root Canal Therapy
The only alternative to denervation is tooth extraction. In this case, the tooth will be replaced with a bridge, implant, or artificial tooth so that you can chew and the shape of the surrounding teeth will also be prevented. These alternative methods are not only more expensive but also require longer treatment time as well as adjustment to the adjacent teeth and connective tissue.
The last words
Nerve removal treatment is a successful method and its success rate is 95%. Most of the teeth that have been denervated last a lifetime.
Source: ( webmd.com)
