Menu
Endodontics is a discipline of dentistry that deals more specifically with the dental pulp and the internal canals of the teeth.
The objective of endodontics is to preserve natural teeth after the dental pulp has been infected by bacteria, which can be relatively painful and requires a specific treatment, root canal treatment.
Operations and analyzes related to endodontics can be performed by a general dentist. A dentist at the Cousineau Dental Center can perform treatments with a state-of-the-art microscope to maximize treatment results.
When endodontic treatment is necessary, root canal treatment is the first operation that is performed. If this is not successful despite the high success rates, canal retreatment becomes necessary, or even an apectomy.
Root canal treatment aims to disinfect all of the internal canals of one or more teeth by removing the dental pulp, i.e. the nervous system of the tooth useful for its development. When the tooth has finished developing, the pulp becomes less useful and can therefore be removed without causing any problems.
Without this treatment, the pain may increase. Loss of the tooth could then occur. As for the infection, it risks spreading to the rest of the teeth, but could also reach the rest of the patient’s body, which can therefore cause more serious health problems.
As a common dental treatment, root canal treatment is a relatively benign operation with a high success rate. It takes place under local anesthesia to avoid any pain during the procedure. However, the treated tooth may be more sensitive and painful in the days following the operation. These will subside after a few days. In case of excessive pain, it is advisable to make an appointment with your dentist so that the latter can check the result of the operation and act accordingly if necessary.
Although root canal treatment has a very high success rate, it can fail, thus needing to be repeated. It is therefore a channel retreatment.
This may be necessary if the patient’s oral hygiene is not appropriate following the root canal treatment previously performed. This could give bacteria the opportunity to grow in the treated tooth. New decay forming on the tooth may also require root canal retreatment. A complication of the first root canal treatment can also occur, therefore requiring a new operation.
If this is possible, canal retreatment will preserve the tooth and eliminate the pain associated with its bacterial infection.
In rare cases, the infection persists after a root canal treatment and requires a procedure to remove the residual infection from the tooth, called an apectomy. In order to prevent the spread of infection and bacteria, the dentist will remove the end of the root, the apex.
As soon as the decision to perform root canal treatment is made. Your dentist will perform local anesthesia to avoid any pain during the operation. A member of the Cousineau Dental Center team will place a dam around the tooth to protect it against new bacteria. He can then remove the pulp from the infected tooth by making a small incision in the tooth. A sealant is then used to fill the canal and close the tooth.
Subsequently, in order to remain as natural as possible, the treated tooth must be restored, which will allow it to be effectively protected. This restoration is done using a crown. Depending on the strength of the tooth after its treatment, it is possible that the crown used rests on a pivot.
After the root canal treatment, it is necessary to continue to take good care of your teeth and not to neglect oral hygiene in order to ensure the success of the operation. Good daily dental hygiene can reduce the risk of treatment failure and keep your teeth healthy!
After the dentist’s decision to perform an apectomy, local anesthesia will be performed so that the patient can be operated on comfortably. The dentist will then make an incision in the patient’s gums in order to have access to the root of the tooth to be treated and from there, he can cut the end of the root and clean the tooth. The void left by the removal of the end of the root will be filled before the gum is closed with stitches.