ROOT CANAL

Introduction

The tooth is made up of an outer hard covering that consists of the enamel and dentin, protecting the inner soft area called the pulp. The pulp is found in the centre of the tooth and in the canals (called root canals) inside the root of each tooth. Removing the pulp is called endodontic treatment, but it is often referred to as root canal treatment or root canal therapy

Why would you need a root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment is needed for two main reasons. The first is infection. The bacteria first erode the enamel and the dentin leading to a cavity formation. An untreated cavity is a common cause of pulp infection. The infection may spread way past the ends of the roots leading to an abscess formation. An abscess is a pus filled pocket that forms at the end of the roots of the tooth. Hence, a root canal treatment is required. The goal of the root canal treatment is to save the tooth by removing the infected or damaged pulp, treating any infections and filling the empty root canals. If root canal is not done, an infected tooth may have to be extracted (i.e. removed). However, it is always better to retain your natural teeth. When a tooth is missing, the neighbouring teeth tend to drift out of line. This may lead to spacing between the teeth making them prone to cavity formation. Also, if you ignore an infected or an injured tooth, the infection may spread to other areas of the face, neck and the head. It may also lead to bone loss around the tooth.

The second reason for a root canal is damage to the pulp that cannot be fixed. Trauma or a fractured tooth can damage the pulp. So can a lot of restoration, such as several fillings placed in the same tooth over a period of time.

Signs and symptoms

If you have an infection of the pulp, you may not feel any pain at first. But if it is not treated, the infection will cause pain and swelling. In some cases, an abscess will form.

Your tooth might need a root canal if:

• It hurts when you bite down on it, touch it or push on it
• It is sensitive to heat
• It is sensitive too cold for more than a couple of seconds
• There is swelling near the tooth
• It is discoloured (whether it hurts or not)
• It is broken

After root canal treatment

It is a necessity to cap the tooth with a crown following a root canal treatment. During the treatment , a lot of tooth structure is lost due to the infection present .This lost tooth structure is replaced by materials such as silver or composite , but these materials are not strong enough to take the masticatory (i.e. Chewing) load. If a crown is not placed on the tooth then it tends to fracture that in turn leads to the failure of the root canal treatment. This tooth has to be extracted then.