When Does Root Canal Treatment Become Necessary?

A guide for Burton patients on why you may require this procedure.

Despite the first ever root canal procedure being performed in the US in the mid 1850s, this procedure is still somewhat of a mystery to many people. In some cases this may simply be because, having heard how ‘terrible’ this treatment can be, people don’t want to look into it any further. There are a lot of myths and misunderstandings about this procedure and we look to address these in today’s blog. The fact is that the root canal procedure is a useful one and one that can save a tooth that would otherwise need to be extracted.

Before we look at the procedure itself, it helps to have a basic understanding of the structure of the tooth and we will start there.

Your teeth

Most people probably think about their teeth only when they have a problem with them or perhaps, when they want to improve their smile. Few people will look into what actually makes up the parts of their teeth, with some perhaps thinking that they are a single block of material that is consistent throughout. In order to understand why a root canal procedure might be needed, let us look at the structure of the tooth, starting from the outside.

Enamel – This is probably the part of the tooth that most are familiar with. This is understandable as it is this that we see when we look at them. The enamel surface is a protective one and is very hard and resistant to a lot of pressure. Breakages can occur though of course, and it is also vulnerable to decay caused by a high sugar diet or through neglect when cleaning. Once the enamel is breached, it allows bacteria and acids to enter into the next layer of the tooth.

Dentin – This lies just below the tooth enamel and is softer and more porous than the enamel surface. It contains microscopic tubules which allow sensations to be passed to the nerves. This is why sensitivity or toothaches are more likely to be felt once this becomes infected. Bacteria can also pass through this layer until they reach the final part of the tooth that we are going to look at.

Pulp – This lies at the heart of the tooth and contains tiny blood vessels and also the nerves of your teeth. As bacteria enter this part of the tooth, the only options available are a root canal or to have the tooth extracted. If left untreated, you are likely to experience severe pain eventually.

Prevention of root canal infections

The only way to avoid the need for this treatment is to protect the tooth enamel as best as you can. This involves good quality regular brushing, flossing between the teeth and also check ups and hygienist visits at SG Dental and Implant Centre.  This, along with a low sugar diet, will help you avoid damage to the tooth enamel and protect the more vulnerable parts of the tooth. Accidents can still happen though and a cracked or broken tooth might expose the dentin layer, allowing the infection process to commence.

Extraction vs root canal

Given what you might have heard about root canal treatment, those more nervous dental patients might be tempted to opt for extracting the tooth, thinking that it is, at least, a quick solution. While this may be a better option in certain circumstances, in most cases it is far better to preserve the tooth. Extracting a tooth obviously loses the use of that tooth altogether and is likely to result in bone loss in that area of the jaw as well as movement of other teeth around it. Depending on the nature of the tooth, it may also mean that we use other teeth for jobs that they weren’t meant for, sometimes causing premature wearing or increasing the risk of damage.

This leaves the root canal option. Before briefly looking at this procedure, let us dispel the myth that has built over years about how painful this treatment is. The likelihood is that this all stemmed from a time before x-rays were commonplace in a dental practice. This would mean that the procedure would take place with no prior knowledge of any abscesses that had formed. Drilling into one of these would be very painful indeed. These days, x-rays are routinely taken before a root canal treatment to check for this. If an abscess is found, the treatment will be postponed until this has been treated, possibly with antibiotics. Once the abscess has gone, this treatment should cause you no more discomfort than some other invasive dental treatments.

The treatment

In order to access the pulp material, it is often first necessary to remove a section from the top of the tooth. This will all, of course, be performed using a strong local anaesthetic. The dentist will then clean out the root canals, removing the pulp material, including the nerves, from the canals. The hollow canals will then be thoroughly cleaned to prevent any re-infection and the canals are then filled with ‘gutta percha’, a special filling known for its expanding properties that help to effectively seal the canals. In most cases, a dental crown will then be attached to the tooth to give it additional strength and also a more natural look.

A root canal treated tooth should offer a good level of strength afterwards. Care should be taken though as, with no nerves, it can be difficult to know how hard you are biting on something. It is best to use other teeth if you are biting something that is hard.

We hope that this provides a better understanding of this treatment for our Burton patients and helps to ease a few nerves for anyone who needs to have this done. If you do ever need this, you can be sure that you will be in good hands with our experienced team of dentists.

For more information on this treatment or any other, or for appointments etc, please call SG Dental and Implant Centre on 01283 845345.