Endodontics is a branch of Dentistry that deals with the removing of the pump(blood vessels and nerves) and the permanent sealing of the canal. When a tooth becomes infected, the pulp has to be removed, and the root canal is cleaned, disinfected and then sealed with a permanent root filling.
What is root canal treatment?
Inside a tooth is the pulp. Its primary purpose is to produce tooth substance. Another purpose of the pulp is to provide sensation and nutrients to the tooth. When a tooth has a cavity and it progresses to the pulp it causes strong pulsing pain and eventual death to the nerve. This is when root canal treatment is initiated. First step in root canal treatment is to clean out the pulp - nerve and blood vessels - and to remove the existing bacteria that have entered the pulp. Once everything has been removed the vacant pulpal area is filled to the tip of the root in order to keep bacteria from re-entering the pulpal area.
Why did I swell after the root canal?
Most of the times, a dead tooth has bacteria and dead pulp tissue, trapped inside it. When root canal treatment is performed the bacteria and dead tissue are pushed out of the root tip and the body reacts to the bacteria and dead tissue. The good news is that after less than a week a person is back to normal. It is quite normal for a person to swell up after a root canal.
Why do I need an apicectomy after my root canal treatment?
Sometimes the pulpal area becomes filled with calcium and the dentist cannot completely fill the tooth. This is called calcification of the root canal. To seal the tooth and protect it from future infection, an apicectomy is needed. Also remaining big cysts, at the tip of the root need to be treated with an apicectomy.
What is an apicectomy?
An apicectomy is the process where by the tip of the root is severed and a filling is placed at the tip to seal the root of the tooth.
Symptoms that indicate need for Root Canal Treatment.
- Significant constant pain (mostly pulsing, feels like you have a small heart beating in your tooth).
- Pain that wakes you up at night.
- Pain when you lay down.
- Pain when chewing.
- The appearance of a swelling.
Why do I need root canal therapy if my tooth does not hurt?
The absence of pain means that the nerve was so severely damaged that the tooth lacks any sensation (i.e. Hot, cold, pain). Severely damaged tooth nerves indicate an infection and root canal therapy is needed to prevent spreading of infection asymptomatically in the surrounding bone and destroying the bone.
