The aim in endodontics is to save the tooth. Rather than extracting a diseased or damaged tooth, the endodontist removes the infection and decay to prevent further damage to the inside of the tooth. Root canal treatment is the most well-known treatment performed by endodontists on a patient's tooth.
During a root canal, the endodontist applies a local anesthetic to the gum tissue around the tooth and then removes the infected tissue and pulp from the tooth. It then deep cleans the chamber holding the pulp and roots, removing any remaining bacteria. After all traces of infection are removed and the inside of the tooth is completely dry, the endodontist fills the chamber and roots with a special material called gutta-percha. Depending on how the outside of the tooth looks, the endodontist will work with the dentist to finish the treatment by placing a crown or other type of dental restoration on the tooth to protect it. An endodontist may also perform surgery to straighten a tooth that has not fully healed after a root canal, or perform an apicectomy, which is an operation that removes the tip of the tooth roots. While the work of endodontists is often associated with infection and severe decay, they can also attempt to save teeth that have been damaged by injury.
Depending on the condition of the tooth, root canal treatment can be done in one or two sessions. For an infected tooth, multiple sessions may be required to ensure that the infection is completely eliminated. An uncomplicated root canal treatment is usually completed in a single session.
During root canal treatment, the nerves of the tooth are removed, so a tooth that has had root canal treatment is not affected by external stimuli. After the treatment, there may be slight pain or sensitivity in chewing for the first few weeks because the tooth needs time to heal like every tissue in our body.
If the pain still persists in the future, the canal filling may be incomplete or insufficient, in this case, the root canal is cleaned and refilled by removing the canal filling, which is usually called 'retreatment'. If there is no result from this treatment, the tooth can be treated with a surgical method called “root tip resection”.
If the root canal treated tooth is one of the anterior teeth or if there is a small amount of material loss, the tooth can be reconstructed with a filling. However, a crown is usually needed on the posterior teeth. Some teeth need a substructure to be supported before a crown is made. This infrastructure is called "core". “Post” is used to keep this infrastructure in place. A part of the filling material in the root canals should be removed and a place for the post should be prepared.
