Root canal treatment or endodontics is a dental treatment commonly known as “nerve killing”. It consists of removing the deep part of the tooth when it is injured or infected. The goal of this treatment is to clean the inside of the tooth and fill it with an inert material.
What does root canal treatment consist of?
The technique consists of removing the nerve, cleaning the root canal, and then sealing it with a thermoplastic material (gutta-percha) and cement or another type of filling material. In most cases, the treatment can be performed in a single session, although in some cases it may be necessary to perform two or more sessions.
It is indicated when there is widespread caries or a dental fracture that has caused inflammation or death of the dental pulp. The treatment is performed to keep the tooth healthy so that it is useful for chewing, avoiding having to extract the tooth.
The treatment is performed under local anesthesia, so it is not painful. However, once the anesthesia has worn off, the patient may feel some discomfort when chewing during the following days.
Care after the procedure
After the treatment, the patient may feel pain or swelling. To alleviate this, an anti-inflammatory medication may be taken. After endodontics, several X-rays are necessary to ensure the accuracy of the result.
Most people can return to their daily routine the day after treatment. It is important that, until the tooth is permanently filled, the patient avoids rough chewing in the area.
It is very important to make patients aware of oral hygiene to avoid pathologies such as caries or oral diseases. In addition, periodic visits to the dentist should not be forgotten as a preventive measure to avoid these types of procedures.
