The living part of the tooth, called the pulp, contains blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue. This tissue continues through the root of the tooth in canal-like channels and terminates at the root apex. In cases of infection in these living tissues or situations where they are exposed due to trauma, root canal treatment is necessary.

In root canal treatment, the pulp chamber of the tooth and the soft tissues inside the canals are removed. The canals are attempted to be rid of bacteria, and shaping of the roots is performed by filing the canal walls.

Once it is ensured that the cleaning and shaping stages are complete, the emptied canals are filled with a canal filling material. All these procedures together are referred to as root canal treatment.

In a healthy tooth, there is fluid circulation inside the tooth, providing flexibility. After root canal treatment, this fluid circulation is interrupted. The tooth loses fluid over time and becomes brittle. Therefore, teeth that undergo root canal treatment are often crowned. The tooth pulp reacts to cold and hot stimuli, serving as an alarm mechanism to alert the person. This sensitivity to temperature is eliminated in teeth that have undergone root canal treatment.

ROOT CANAL TREATMENT

When is Root Canal Treatment Necessary?

High levels of decay that have reached the tooth nerve, cases where the vitality of the tooth is lost due to excessive force on the tooth as a result of orthodontic treatment, advanced gum diseases, sensitivity caused by severe tooth wear, and situations where high fillings or prosthetics have been made also require intervention.

ROOT CANAL TREATMENT

How is Root Canal Treatment Done?

In the first session, the tooth decay and nerve tissue are cleaned, and the tooth canals are shaped up to the root tip. Medication is placed inside the tooth for healing, and it is temporarily sealed with a temporary filling.

In the second session, the inside of the tooth is cleaned, and the canals are filled with a special filling material up to the root tip, sealed permanently with a permanent filling.