Root Canal Treatment
- Dr Rohan Virani on 9/6/2021

What Is Root Canal Treatment?

Root canal treatment involves treating the inside of the tooth. It is one type of endodontic treatment as the soft centre of the tooth called pulp is removed. This pulp is a soft tissue right under the white enamel of the teeth and the dentin. It helps the teeth grow and it is connected from the roots to the crown of the tooth, containing blood vessels, nerves, and tissues.

Root canal procedure is performed by an Endodontist or general dentist under local anaesthesia.

In this article, we have mentioned everything about root canal treatment.

Why Is Root Canal Procedure Needed?

When the inner part of the tooth called pulp gets infected or inflamed a root canal treatment is needed. A root canal treatment is needed to restore the structure of the tooth by removing the damaged pulp. One cannot easily identify if the pulp is damaged as the part above the gums called crown remains in place even if the pulp below is dead. Inflammation, swelling or pain in your gums indicate you need to consult your dentist. To confirm the diagnosis your doctor will recommend you to take X-rays after examining your condition.

Causes Of Damaged Pulp:

If a tooth cavity is left untreated then it might lead to deep tooth decay.
Repeated dental procedures
A small crack in the tooth
Accidental injury in the tooth

These are some common causes that might result in tooth decay. An endodontist can properly identify your problem and would suggest root canal treatment if needed.

Root Canal Treatment Steps

After visiting your dentist and getting a confirmation of the need for root canal treatment. You will be allotted a time slot for your root canal treatment. On the first-time consultation, the dentist will examine the condition of your tooth and X-rays. Accordingly, after detecting the extent of the infection he will design the treatment plan. This is what the general procedure followed at our dental clinic in Mumbai.

The procedure for the root canal treatment is as follows:

Step 1 - Local Anesthetic

For decreasing the pain during the procedure a local anaesthetic is injected into your gums. This won’t make you lose consciousness but only that area will go numb for some time. Later the effect of local anaesthetic will decrease with time.

Step 2 - Pulp Extraction

As per our Endodontist in Mumbai, a small dental dam will be placed on the tooth to isolate it. This helps keep the area dry for the procedure and free of saliva. To have access to the tooth pulp, an opening is made into the tooth crown. Once the infected pulp is accessible it is carefully removed with special tools. Later space is cleaned with rinsing substances to disinfect it and save from further infection.

(An image representation of the natural condition of the tooth)

Step 3 - Sealing the Roots/ Pulp Area

To fill the space of the pulp the dentist might use a sealing paste or a rubber-like substance called gutta-percha. Sometimes a temporary filling is used to seal the space. The opening of the crown is sealed with the help of cement temporarily.

Step 4 - Final Visit and Follow-Ups

A short span of time is given to observe the recovery if the tooth is growing and the infection is cleared or not. This can be examined through follow-ups if the infection is healing or not.

If your endodontist notices any infection he might try to decrease the infection by chemically cleaning the pulp area. He might also recommend some oral antibiotics during the healing period. After the root canal is healed and surrounding tissue has healed a crown or restoration is placed on the opening.

The whole procedure of the root canal treatment might just take a day or two. But you need to go to the dentist for regular follow-ups after the root canal. The healing time and the recovery rate differ from person to person. After the full recovery, the crown of the tooth will be restored. According to the patient’s preference, a permanent crown or artificial tooth is placed. It gives a realistic feel of the tooth and also you can resume your normal function of the tooth.

Root Canal Treatment Cost

The cost of the treatment varies depending on the extent of infection and how many teeth are affected. They are able to determine the cost after a full examination of the affected tooth.

At Mumbai Dental Solutions in Mulund, we make sure to discuss the need and the period for the whole treatment. The cost of the root canal treatment is discussed with the patient depending on his condition. This is why a fixed rate for the root canal procedure cannot be declared beforehand.

Generally, the root canal is not as expensive as compared to performing a whole tooth extraction. Because the cost of replacing the extracted tooth with an artificial tooth will be added to the whole procedure. It depends on the cost of dental implants in Mumbai.

Root Canal Treatment is considered a general restorative treatment that needs the expertise of an endodontist. These types of procedures do not cost more. Compare the costs by consulting with the best dentists in Mumbai. Some dental clinics in Mulund also have in-house endodontists who will take care of the whole procedure in one place.

Are There Any Side Effects From The Root Canal Treatment?

With the root canal procedure, an effort is made to save the tooth. In some cases, the damage is too deep therefore repeated procedures are needed to recover the damaged tissue.

Here are some side effects which one might experience during the root canal procedure:

It sometimes damages the side canals when the infection spreads.
Sometimes the infected pulp is not eradicated completely from the complex tissue structure even with the most advanced tools.

This is why repeated root canals are needed to remove the infection. If you are going through a complex issue then consider going to an experienced endodontist.