Endodontics – dental treatment

Dental pulp is a soft tissue comprising nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue of the mouth.

Endodontics is a branch of dentistry that deals with dental pulp inflammations, infections caused by tooth decay or other types of complications or infections.

Root canal treatment is a pain-free procedure performed under local anaesthesia.

In order to prevent abscesses or granulomas, it is crucial to start treatment as soon as possible.

Endodontic treatment helps save severely damaged or infected teeth in order to avoid tooth extraction. This type of treatment prevents the spread of infection to and loss of other teeth.

The main goal is to save the patient’s natural teeth because they function more efficiently than any artificial replacement.

Overview of the procedure

Endodontic treatment is preceded by an X-ray.The X-ray can reveal signs of an infection, which helps with treatment planning. Treatment is performed under local anaesthesia to make the procedure as pain-free and precise as possible.Endodontic treatment starts with removing the decayed part of the tooth, removing the inflamed dental pulp, and chemically and mechanically cleaning the root canal to remove bacteria and the infected dentine.After enlarging and shaping the root canal, a biocompatible material is used to prevent the bacteria from re-entering and re-infecting the root canal. The dentist then restores the tooth using a filling or a prosthesis (dental crown) to protect it from breaking, for example, when chewing.Patients are advised to go for periodic check-ups over the course of 6 months to a year following the procedure. The check-ups include taking a new OPG X-ray and examining the condition of the treated tooth.

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‍Written by: dr. med. dent. Ivan Kustec