Inside each tooth is the dental pulp, which includes blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue. The pulp plays a vital role, as it provides nutrients to the tooth and allows proprioception during chewing. However, if the pulp becomes infected with bacteria or suffers trauma, it must be removed to protect the natural tooth from further damage. This intervention is essential to maintain oral health and preserve the tooth in the long term.
FAQ
The most frequent cause of pathology associated with endodontic treatment is caries. Today, carious lesions can be prevented through proper diet, scrupulous home hygiene, periodic professional oral hygiene sessions, follow-up visits by experienced practitioners, targeted radiographic examinations, and performance of small fillings of initial caries preventing greater future damage. New adhesive restorative techniques also play a crucial role in preventing endodontic treatment. In fact, today it is possible to remove only carious tooth tissue and restore the tooth with adhesive materials, limiting the removal of healthy tooth substance that was previously necessary to ensure the mechanical seal of the restoration.
The rubber dam is a simple sheet of colored rubber that is placed at the beginning of the dental session to isolate the teeth that need treatment from the rest of the mouth, allowing the dentist to work in a clean, dry field and the patient to feel protected. With the rubber dam, it is impossible for irritating liquids and instruments to be accidentally swallowed. It also reduces the risk of accidental damage to cheeks and tongue by burs or sharp instruments as a result of sudden movements. Thanks to the dam, once isolated, the teeth to be treated appear more visible and therefore are also more easily treated by the dentist. In fact, the dam has a retracting action on the cheeks, lips, tongue and gums, allowing to have better visibility on the tooth.
Could the dam be uncomfortable? No, the dam allows one to breathe well through the nose and swallow saliva. In addition, it does not force the placement of bothersome saliva aspirators in the mouth or even retracting the cheeks with mirrors in order to get a good look.
Endodontic treatments are not painful. Contemporary anesthesiological techniques ensure absolutely painless sessions, and any postoperative symptoms are controlled with common dental anti-inflammatory drugs. In the presence of more extensive infections, antibiotics may be used.
Endodontic treatment or root canal therapy, is a procedure by which a tooth affected by disease of the pulp (“nerve”) and/or root apex (“granulomas”) due to deep caries, injury to the tooth from trauma or other causes is preserved. Endodontic treatment removes inflamed or infected pulp tissue contained within the crown of the tooth and root canals, maintaining the healthy portion of the tooth and its chewing function, after adequate restoration of the portion of the tooth lost to decay or trauma.
