Root Canal Therapy

The Fundamentals For A Root Canal Therapy - RCT is one name that gives many patients shivers when told about it. However, in reality, it is not that bad. Infact, it is an instant pain reliever and the best treatment to retain the original teeth. A Root canal treated tooth serves its purpose and function just as a healthy tooth.

A root canal is a capillary, which runs from the base of the root of the tooth to the middle of the crown (the visible part of the tooth). The root canal carries the pulp (a network of blood and nerve cells), which brings the tooth to life.

The nerve of the tooth gets damaged due to many reasons. One of the main causes is cavity in the tooth that grows deeper and touches the nerve. Since the cavity is filled with bacteria, the root canal gets inflamed and causes pain. Other reasons that may damage the teeth are accidental cracks or infection from gums reaching to the base of roots. In such cases, root canal treatments can easily stabilise the position.

There are two ways to get relief from the pain: perform the root canal therapy, or pull the tooth, clean the gum below, and replace the tooth with a denture or bridge. We advise removing teeth as a last resort natural teeth are the ones best suited for the mouth.

It's important to have root canal therapy done quickly. The bacteria will travel down the canal to the root and into the jawbone. If this happens, the pain of your toothache will spread to your jaw. Even more important, the infection can cause your jawbone to deteriorate and weaken the structure that holds your teeth.

The best way to avoid root canals is to take good daily care of your teeth to prevent the growth and spread of bacteria. Brushing and flossing are important. Just as important are regular trips to the dentist, to check for the first sign of decay or cracks that could eventually lead to an infected tooth. In this case, an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure!

What Is the Cost of Root Canal Treatment?

There are many factors that affect the cost of root canal treatment. Each patient and tooth presents a different set of circumstances. Generally, the cost of root canal treatment is directly related to the chair time necessary to perform the treatment as well as to the costs of the staff, training, and technology that the dentist has available when performing the procedure. There are many factors that influence the amount of chair time necessary to treat any particular tooth:

The position of the tooth in the mouth
The number of roots and the number of canals within these roots
Root curvatures and the length of the roots
The presence or absence of calcifications within the root canal space
Special dental considerations. For example, it may be more difficult for the dentist to work through an existing crown or a bridge than to work on a tooth with only a small previous filling. Also, some teeth may have been severely broken down by past dental disease and these may have to be "built-up" before root canal treatment can even be started so that an aseptic field can be established and maintained during treatment.

In addition to the chair time involved for treatment, other factors are also taken into consideration when determining a fair fee for root canal treatment:

The cost of technology. Dentists who use state-of-the-art technology for certain procedures have invested in computer digital radiography, ultrasonic, and specialized training courses for themselves and for their staff. Those patients who benefit from them share the costs of these items.
The costs of the dental office overhead include staff, rent, and supplies in addition to many other expenses. These costs vary significantly in different areas of the country.
Fees vary among practitioners due to differences in their endodontic treatment philosophies, which in turn dictate the chair time required, the materials selected, and the technologies utilized.

In conclusion, there can be marked discrepancies in the fees charged for root canal treatment by different dentists. Ultimately, the best value for care is treatment that is done once and works over a period of many years. Conversely, the most expensive dental treatment is the treatment that may cost less initially but does not work predictably and needs to be redone one or more times. The wise dental consumer does not make a treatment decision on the basis of cost alone.

Facts About Root Canal Treatment

What Are the Goals of Root Canal Treatment?

As an alternative to an extraction, the goals of root canal treatment are to save the tooth and allow it to be retained in the mouth for many years in a state of health, function, and comfort. Root canal treatment is directed towards removing diseased tissue from the inside of the tooth and subsequently filling and sealing the root canal space in order to minimize the possibility of future re-infection.

Why Is Root Canal Treatment Called Endodontic Treatment?

Endodontic is a word composed of two Greek words, "endo" meaning "inside," and "odont" meaning "tooth." Endodontics is that branch of dentistry that deals with the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases that arise from the soft tissues inside the tooth. These tissues are referred to as the dental pulp and they occupy the root canal space. Thus, endodontic treatment is also called root canal treatment.

If a Tooth Has Had Root Canal Treatment, Is It a Dead Tooth?

Root canal treatment does not kill a tooth. Even though root canal treatment removes the pulp tissue from inside the tooth, the tooth is by no means "dead." Following successful endodontic treatment, the tooth continues to receive its blood supply and nourishment from the surrounding tissues and the supporting bone. The body's immune system continues to recognize an endodontically treated tooth as viable and healthy, just as it recognizes any other normal non-treated tooth. An endodontically treated tooth generally requires a protective crown and, once this restoration has been completed, the tooth continues to function as an integral component of the dental arch. A tooth that has had root canal treatment and has been properly restored is no more susceptible to fracture, decay, or gum disease than any other tooth.

Alternatives To Root Canal Treatment - The only alternative to root canal treatment is the extraction of the problematic tooth. It is wise to consider all of the implications of losing a tooth before having it removed. The decision should not be made hastily or because the tooth is painful. If pain is present and the dentist thinks that the tooth can be saved, the discomfort can first be relieved and then the alternatives explored.

The discussion about tooth replacement alternatives after extraction can be complex because each individual situation is unique and, at times, various specialists may need to be consulted. When considering the alternatives for replacing a missing tooth, a few of the major factors to consider are the long-term predictabilities of the various alternatives, the overall chair time involved in treatment, the esthetic results, the effects on the adjacent and opposing teeth, and the costs. The usual alternatives that a patient has after tooth extraction are:

A restored dental implant. This restoration involves a surgical procedure to insert the dental implant into the bone, a healing phase of several months, and a final restorative phase, which is similar to having a single tooth crown. Significant time and laboratory costs are involved.
A fixed bridge. Fabricating a fixed bridge requires cutting down ("preparing") the teeth next to the missing tooth so that they can receive the artificial crowns that support the replacement tooth. These teeth must be strong and healthy if they are to be effective bridge supports. Preparing the teeth for crowns could have a detrimental effect on their pulp health, depending on a variety of factors. This possibility needs to be discussed and factored into your decision. Fixed bridges may take multiple appointments to complete and have significant associated costs.
A removable partial denture. These appliances restore function and esthetics and can be inserted into the mouth and removed at will. Although many teeth are successfully replaced with removable prosthetic appliances, patients may initially find them cumbersome. Removable partial dentures may also temporarily alter phonetics as well as place unfavourable forces on the supporting teeth and soft tissues. There may be significant costs associated with this restoration.
Not replacing the extracted tooth. This is a poor choice in most situations. Leaving a space after extraction can lead to long-term problems with teeth shifting and tipping, destabilization of the biting system, and esthetic changes in the profile of the face. Financially and psychologically, this could turn out to be the most costly choice over the lifetime of the patient.

After considering and weighing all of the consequences of extraction and all of the alternatives for tooth replacement, in most situations it becomes obvious that well-performed root canal treatment with a protective restoration is the treatment of choice. Root canal treatment is usually the least time-consuming, the least invasive, and Ortho.