What are the 3 stages of root canal treatment?

This dental treatment can save even an extremely damaged or infected tooth from falling out. Although the term “root canal” may send shivers down a patient’s spine, this treatment is relatively painless and highly efficient when modern techniques are used. In this article, we take a closer look at the three major steps in root canal treatment to delineate the process and what to expect if this tooth-salvaging procedure needs to be done.

The Importance of Root Canal Treatment

To discuss the various stages undertaken with such a treatment of the root canal, it becomes ever so proper to understand the logic that can relate to why such an intervention in the teeth could ever be necessary. Each tooth has a pulp leading the way, which is usually the soft tissue placed within. It contains blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissues.

Infection or inflammation of this pulp due to deep decay, probably some repeated dental procedures, or eventually even a crack in the tooth causes quite a lot of pain, and this might even lead to an abscess. Now, the procedure of root canal treatment is that the pulp is removed, and the interior of the tooth gets cleaned and sealed to protect it from further infection.

Now, let us look at the three stages of root canal treatment in detail.

Cleaning the Root Canal

The first step to root canal treatment is to remove the infected or damaged pulp and clean out the inside of your tooth. During this step, your dentist or endodontist will typically use local anesthesia to ensure you’re comfortable during the procedure.

After you are numb, your dentist will make an access hole into the crown of the tooth. With the opening, they will be able to locate the pulp chamber and root canals. They will then carefully remove the infected or damaged pulp from the pulp chamber and root canals with specialized instruments called files. Removal of the infected pulp—pulpectomy—is the pathway to pain relief and the source of infection.

The dentist will next clean and shape the root canals with the use of small files and irrigation solutions. This is a very critical step to ensure that all remaining debris and bacteria have been removed, and the canals are shaped and prepared to be filled. State-of-the-art techniques, such as the ultrasonic instruments or laser technology, could also be utilized to make sure that all of the finer structures of the canal are properly cleaned out.

At this stage, your dentist may take X-rays to make sure that all the infected material has been removed and see the length and shape of the root canals. This helps ensure that the whole canal system is cleaned and then prepared for the next stage of treatment.

Filling the Root Canal

In the second phase, the cleaned and shaped root canals are filled. This filling process is critical to closing off the canals to avoid re-infection. The most common material used to fill canals today for root canal treatment is a biocompatible rubber compound known as gutta-percha.

Your dentist will dry the canals out with paper points so filling material will adhere to the canal walls. Then, after the canals are dried, the dentist will insert the gutta-percha points into each canal; commonly used is a heated instrument to soften and compress the material. That is what is referred to as warm vertical compaction, which creates a tight seal within the canals.

Your dentist may sometimes use a flowable type of gutta-percha. This gutta-percha can be injected into the canals and fill very irregularly shaped canals, or those with complex anatomy, very effectively.

After the canal is filled, the dentist seals the entrance to the tooth’s crown with a temporary filling material. This will temporarily block off the system of the root canal, thereby safeguarding it from re-contamination while you await the final restoration.

There are occasions when other dentists prefer doing the entire root canal treatment in one go. This depends on how complicated the case is and the condition of the tooth. Most of the time, however, the tooth is allowed to heal nicely for some time between the second and third stages before the final restoration is placed.

Placing a Crown or Final Restoration

The last step in root canal treatment is the placing of permanent restoration over the treated tooth. This step is very essential in the restoration of the functioning of the tooth and also in protecting it from future damage or infection.

In most cases, a tooth that has had root canal treatment should be crowned. This is because the tooth may already have been weakened by the initial decay or damage that required the root canal, together with the treatment. A crown gives it back its full strength, preventing it from fracturing under normal biting and chewing forces.

The procedure to place a crown typically starts with the removal of the temporary filling done previously by your dentist and shaping the tooth in a contour and shape for the crown. Following this, impressions of the tooth would then be taken from which the crown would be fabricated to fit in precisely. In some dental offices fitted with CAD/CAM technology, this process is completed within just one visit using chairside milling machines.

Your dentist is going to put a temporary crown in your tooth while your permanent crown is being made. Following that, one has to visit the dentist, who will install the permanent crown with the help of cement. Next, your dentist will look for a proper fit, make any necessary adjustments, and then check to make sure your bite is perfect before attaching the crown permanently.

In some cases, especially if it is one of your front teeth or has enough healthy teeth left, your dentist might choose another type of restoration — a large filling or a veneer, for example. The choice of final restoration will depend on the individual needs of your tooth and your general oral health.

Though much dreaded, the procedure of root canal treatment is a valuable one in saving a grossly damaged tooth from extraction. Patients who get to know the three stages of the treatment—inquire about cleaning, filling, and restoring—can take up the procedure more amenable to conducting it with less anxiety. Modern techniques and technologies make today’s root canal treatment painless and efficient, allowing patients to retain their natural teeth and maintain oral health for years to come.