Root canal treatment process

Dental disease is a very common oral disease. In life, we often hear such words: toothache is not a disease, but it is fatal when it hurts. It can be seen that toothache not only affects daily life, but also affects daily work. Generally, this situation needs to be treated in time. Most toothaches are caused by tooth decay. If the pulp is damaged, root canal treatment is required. Most people are not clear about the process of root canal treatment. What is the process of root canal treatment?

Steps of root canal treatment

1. Opening: The purpose of pulp opening is to remove carious tissue, open the pulp cavity, and facilitate the removal of inflamed or necrotic pulp. Pulp opening requires that the shape of the hole be consistent with the shape of the pulp cavity.

2. Removal of dead pulp: Pulp removal should be performed painlessly. If necessary, the pulp is removed under local anesthesia. Residual pulp is the inflamed tooth remaining at the root apex. The presence of residual pulp will cause trouble to root canal treatment and prolong the treatment time. Because residual pulp causes root inflammation, it is difficult to control and there is repeated inflammatory secretion in the root canal.

3. Root canal enlargement: The purpose of root canal enlargement is to completely remove the pulp and infected dentin. Because the root canal wall is uneven, it is easy for pulp tissue to remain in the depressed area. There are two things that should be done when enlarging the root canal: one is to prevent inflammation from entering the root apex, and the other is to prevent the root canal from not being enlarged to the apex or the enlarging needle from exceeding the root apex.

4. Root canal disinfection: Completely eliminate residual infection in the root canal through physical and chemical (drug) methods. After the disinfectant is placed into the pulp chamber or root canal, it should be sealed for 5 to 7 days to allow it to fully take effect. If there are no symptoms during the follow-up visit, the third step, root canal filling, can be performed. If symptoms still exist during the follow-up visit or there is still a lot of secretions in the root canal, it is not advisable to fill the root canal. The root canal needs to be disinfected again to avoid an inflammatory reaction after filling.

5. Root canal sealing: After pulp extraction, expansion and flushing, the root canal cavity is basically clean, but from the perspective of bacteriological requirements, it is not sterile. Because bacteria can enter the dentinal tubules, strong disinfectants must be used for further sterilization to achieve a sterile state.

6. Root canal filling: The root canal has been sterile after the above treatment. The purpose of filling is to prevent the sterile root canal from being infected, so special filling materials should be used to fill the root canal to prevent reinfection.

How long does root canal treatment take?

Under normal circumstances, if it is a front tooth, each time will take about 20 minutes, and if it is a back tooth, each time will take about 40 minutes. After the operation, you will need to return to the hospital for 3 to 5 follow-up visits. The duration of root canal treatment will also be related to factors such as the doctor's skills and the root canal condition of the affected tooth.