What is Root Canal Treatment?

Teeth consist of outermost enamel, in between is dentin, and innermost is a connective tissue structure called pulp that provides nerve conduction. The main function of this tissue is to source the cell lines that provide the construction of dental hard tissues and to maintain the vitality of the cells that make dentin. When this tissue, which is completely isolated from the oral environment, is damaged due to reasons such as tooth decay, dental trauma, all reparative treatments applied to treat the pain caused by this damage or the infection in advanced cases can be called endodontic (root canal treatment) interventions. 

Endodontic treatments are complex interventions that may need to be performed in different ways, such as a deep filling to protect the nerve tissue of the tooth, partial removal of the nerve tissue (amputation), and cutting of the nerve tissue (root canal treatment).

Deep fillings (pulp coating), partial root canal treatments (amputation), and root canal treatments are performed on primary teeth to ensure the continuity of the tooth. Root canal treatments do not prevent the tooth from falling out when the time comes, and do not destroy or kill the permanent tooth developing underneath. 

Endodontic treatments for permanent teeth in children include pulp coatings, teeth with incomplete root development: amputation, root canal treatments (apexification, apical barrier placement) for teeth with open root tips, and regenerative endodontic treatments.

Endodontic treatments are treatments that require local anesthesia injection in the clinic, under saliva isolation, technical precision, and long-distance intervention. In some cases, the same tooth may require intervention in more than one appointment, and in some cases, the infection of the infected tooth may worsen after root canal treatment. 

In endodontic treatment, in order to have effective surgical access to the root canal system of the tooth and to clean the inside, large material loss may occur in the tooth. For a successful result, crowns (veneers: prefabricated stainless steel) that surround the entire tooth are used instead of fillings directly applied to the relevant tooth after endodontic treatment, which will be fragile and carry a risk of leakage and failure. steel crowns, prefabricated zirconia crowns, laboratory type crowns - inlay, onlay), intracanal posts supported by the root canal may be required.