Impermeable as they appear from the outside, our teeth are not entirely solid. Stretching from the root tips to the crown, the root canals are narrow channels in the hard dentine that contain small blood vessels and nerve fibers. This soft part of the tooth is called the pulp.
Deep cavities:: Caries are a bacterial infection of the tooth. If this infection has reached the root canals, the resulting inflammation of the pulp will cause a bad toothache. Only endodontic (root canal) treatment can now stop the bacterial infection and save the tooth.
Dental fractures: In a fractured tooth, root canals may get exposed to the outside
and are at high risk of bacterial infection. A root canal treatment may then be part
of fixing the tooth.
Revision treatments: Sometimes, a past endodontic treatment may not have been
entirely successful: Over time, tiny amounts of bacteria left in the root canal
system may multiply, escape from the root tip into the surrounding tissue and
lead to chronic inflammation. In such a situation, a revision treatment – another
attempt at cleaning and disinfecting the canals – is the only alternative to losing
the tooth.
Root canal proceduress can save teeth that would otherwise have to be extracted. Most teeth that have had root canal therapy serve their owners well for decades to come – and that is almost always preferable to any other solution.
In the course of a root canal procedure, the dentist will remove the dentin covering, find
the entrances to the root canals, extract the infected pulp, clean and somewhat widen
the canals with small instruments, disinfect them thoroughly and thus prepare them for
a root filling.
Using a dental microscope during a root canal procedure lets the dentist see the tooth’s
inside magnified up to 25-fold: an enormous help with locating and cleaning the root
canals.
It is hard to imagine – but only a couple of decades ago, the dental microscope was a
rather exotic tool used mainly in academic settings and by extremely specialized
dentists. Today, it is nothing short of a requisite for excellence in modern endodontics.
Of course, dentists have always given their best for their patients. However, as explained
above: Root canals are no small challenge. A canal that has not been completely cleaned
and disinfected – or a missed canal – create a high risk for recurring infection.
Remaining bacteria and pulp residue may rekindle the toothache shortly after the
procedure. Or – even more problematic – a „silent“ infection may develop and
spread to the jawbone.
Advances in modern endodontics – chief among them the dental microscope – have
measurably increased the success rates of root canal procedures. This is excellent news
for patients today!
Our dental microscope is the key piece of our office’s technical equipment. It is
supplemented with other modern instruments and technologies – like the delicate
rotating files made from highly elastic nickel-titanium that we use for canal preparation.
Or the ultrasonic and laser activated irrigation methods that are employed for thorough
canal cleaning and disinfection.
In short: At Plusendo, our patients will find everything modern endodontics has to offer
– for better and faster root canal treatments.
