Earlier any significantly infacted or damaged tooth was just extracted. Today due to this root canal treatment most of the damaged or impacted teeth can be saved thus avoiding their extraction.
An extraction is truly the last resort
Indications for the Root Canal Treatment:-
• Severe decay or injury involving the nerve of tooth.
• Severe sensitivity to hot and cold foods.
• Spontaneous pain or throbbing while biting.
• An abscess (Infection or Pus) in the bone.
Root Canal treatment consists of:-
Removal of the infected nerve tissue that lies within the root of every tooth. This nerve tissue once infected by decay or injury to the tooth causes pain, or severe sensitivity to hot and cold foods. This infected nerves tissue eventually forms as abscess.
• The first step in RCT is to obtain access to the nerve tissue which is accomplished by establishing a small access opening on the top of the teeth. All this is done under local anesthesia.
• All this infected nerve tissue is removed right up to the entire length of the root after determining the root length. Then the entire root canal is reshaped so as to remove the infected material and accept the special root canal filling material.
• The number of sittings for a root canal treatment depend upon the severity of infection and complicity of the procedure.
• The final step would be to seal the root canal with a sterile, plastic material called gutta percha. This would prevent possible future infection.
• Due to the use of local anesthesia the entire procedure becomes painless.
• In order to restore the normal form and function of the tooth and also to prolong its life a crown is recommended to be placed on the root canal treated teeth.