Endodontics

Endodontic dental care involves procedures performed inside the tooth, specifically treatment of the dental pulp and root tissues.

The most common endodontic procedure is root canal treatment (commonly referred to as “removing the tooth nerve”). It is often seen as a feared procedure, but when performed professionally, it can not only relieve pain but also save the patient’s natural tooth.

The foundation of microsurgical endodontic treatment is work under an operating microscope. The procedure is usually very time-consuming, and the patient should expect that treatment of a single tooth may take from one to three hours. The dentist always works under local anesthesia.

How is root canal treatment performed?

The essence of the treatment is the removal of inflamed, infected, injured, or dead dental pulp from the root canals. This is followed by enlargement of the root canals, disinfection of the tissues, and then filling the canals with a suitable material that seals them completely. Such a tooth no longer hurts and, after reinforcement with an appropriate crown, can serve its function for life. We reassure patients that this is not actually “nerve pulling” at all; it is simply the mechanical removal of diseased pulp tissue from the tooth.

After complete preparation of the root canal system along its full length—which is determined during treatment both by X-ray imaging and electronically using an apex locator—and after cleaning the tooth, it is necessary to hermetically fill and seal the root canal to prevent possible bacterial penetration.

During the procedure itself, the first priority is to strictly prevent bacteria from entering the treated tooth. The entire procedure is carried out by a dentist under an operating microscope and always using sterile disposable root canal and other special instruments.

In the final stage, the tooth is rebuilt, or a dental crown is fabricated if needed.

Endodontic procedures require care and precision, and the patient must expect that the treatment is time-consuming. Cleaning one root canal requires at least 30 minutes. During endodontic treatment, we use magnification technology (loupe glasses or a microscope) and always use new root canal instruments.

Before filling, the root canals are cleaned with disinfectant, and the area around the tooth is protected with a rubber barrier called a rubber dam to prevent disinfectant from entering the mouth and to avoid contamination of the canals by bacteria from saliva.

The entire procedure is checked using X-ray equipment in several stages—before, during, and at the end of the procedure—when the doctor verifies that the treatment has been carried out correctly.

Complexity of endodontic treatment

Root canal treatment is very demanding in terms of both time and technique, and the patient must therefore expect a higher financial cost for endodontic treatment. However, carefully performed endodontic treatment can save the patient’s tooth and spare them even higher costs that would arise from definitive tooth loss and its replacement, for example with a dental implant.