Root canal treatment in the centre of Hamburg
Diseases of the inside of the tooth often go along with severe pain. They are a sign that the tooth is under attack and a treatment of the root is necessary.
What is a root canal treatment?
During a root canal treatment, the infected dental pulp or pulpa is removed and the canal system in the dental nerve is disinfected. Afterwards, the canal system is closed with a medicinal filling material. This procedure takes up to two appointments. Local anaesthetics usually make it completely pain-free.
The aim of a root canal treatment
It is the aim of a root canal treatment to completely remove the soft tissue of the inner tooth in order to conserve the tooth.
Root Canal Treatment
| Suitable for: | Sensible conservation of teeth | |
| Anaesthesia: | Local anaesthesia with possible sedation | |
| Necessary if: | Inflammations of the dental nerve | |
| Examination: | Clinical and radiological | |
| Advantages: | If possible, the conservation of teeth | |
| Duration: | Depending |
Advantages of the Zahnklinik ABC Bogen
Today, we can use modern treatment techniques, new equipment and new filling materials, a surgical microscope and our long-standing experience in order to be able to conserve teeth for which there used to be no recue for.
- Root canal treatment with microscope
- Laser-assisted measurement – Endometry
- Thermoplastic filling procedure
- Optimal filling materials
- Ultrasonic-assisted processing
- Photoactivated disinfection (PAD) for the cleaning of tiniest ramifications
In many cases, these modern methods of endodontology can maintain teeth whose root canal system is inflamed. With a relatively small procedure we can remove the bacteria from the root canal system—the cause of the inflammation.
The modern treatment doesn’t need additional surgery and often saves you the costs for dentures like dental implants or a bridge.
Procedure of a root treatment
The dental nerve, called pulpa, consists of blood vessels and nerve fibre. Bacterial infections of the pulpa can cause inflammations and severe pain. Died-off nerve tissue can be another consequence. When the tooth has died-off, pain won’t be an issue any more but a treatment is necessary nonetheless.
1. Step: Removal of Caries
In case of a root canal treatment due to a caries infection, the dentist has to remove those areas affected by the caries and possibly apply a first filling. In order to do so, the existing hole is widened using a dental drill. Next, the treatment of the root and its canals can commence.
2. Step: Tissue-removal and irrigation
The inside of the tooth has to be emptied carefully using tiny files. The extremely fine root canals are slightly widened. After that, the root canal system is repeatedly irrigated with a disinfection solution that eliminates the germs responsible for the inflammation. This step is meant to free the inner tooth of malignant bacteria.
The course of the root treatment is monitored with X-rays that are being taken throughout the treatment.
3. Step: Occlusion of the root canal (filling of the root)
After all root canals have been located, cleaned and disinfected, the canal system is sealed with a special filling material.
If the dental root shows a widespread inflammation, several treatment sessions might be necessary. In-between each session the tooth is sealed with a temporary filling material.
4. Step: Restoration of the dental crown
Often, after an endodontological treatment the tooth is surrounded by an artificial crown because the natural dental substance has been weakened by a severe infection. That means, the crown is another means to conserve the tooth in the long run.
Risks of a Root Treatment
If the tooth is to be conserved, endodontologists need to apply the highest amount of precision. Not only does this require wide-ranging expert knowledge, it also needs a lot of time. The small but very demanding procedure on the inside of the tooth comes with several advantages and disadvantages.
Thanks to experienced staff and modern methods risks and complications are rare—however, they are not impossible.
- Instrument-fractures: Very fine instruments can damage the inside of the tooth or break inside it
- Via falsa: When the needles are pulled out of the canal and damage the wall of the root in the process. In some cases, the tooth can be saved by covering the resulting opening. In other cases, the tooth has to be removed.
- Obliterations: The died-off tissue in root canals can harden over time and possibly can’t be removed by rotating files any more. In that case, a successful root treatment can’t be performed. This diminishes the chances for a positive long-time prognosis for the tooth.
- Paro-endo lesions: Dentists use this term to describe a combination of root canal inflammation and an inflammation of the surrounding tissue of the tooth (parodont), i.e. gums and jaw bone. Paro-endo lesions significantly diminish the prospects of saving the tooth.
- Over-pressing: Especially with regards to thermoplastic techniques, it can come to an over-pressing of the thermoplastic material beyond the root apex during the filling of the root. Small amounts of material usually don’t cause much of a problem. But if the material touches on sensitive areas like the jaw cavity (maxillary sinus) or the nerve surroundings it has to be removed.
Tips for a Quick Recovery After the Root Treatment
You yourself can help the healing process after a root canal treatment. In the following, you can find a few important tips:
Please note: To feel in pain after a dental treatment with anaesthetics is a normal occurrence. However, if the issues are continuous you should get into contact with us in order to check on the course of your treatment.
To help a quick recovery, please take note of the follow guidelines:
- Refrain from talking and other activities that require a lot of movement of the mouth after the procedure: This can irritate the wound.
- To soothe the wound, you can cool it externally with cold compresses. This also prevents any further swelling.
- If you still feel very much in pain, pain killers can give you some relief. We are happy to consult you on that matter.
- You can soothe and disinfect the affect area in the mouth with a special mouth wash. We are happy to recommend a suitable product.
- You should refrain from sport for about one week after the treatment. The same holds true for the consummation of cigarettes and coffee.
Costs of the Root Canal Treatment
The exact cost for the treatment depends on whether the tooth in question can be conserved or not. If the tooth is deemed preservable from a medicinal perspective, the cost for the root canal treatment will be covered in part by the statutory health insurance.
Generally, endodontical treatments are not included in the services of statutory health insurances. Prices are determined according to the fixed scale of charges for dentists (Gebührenordnung für Zahnärzte). If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
As an experienced specialist for endodontology, Dr. Camilla Söhler is happy to assist you with advice and further information.
An endodontical treatment usually takes two sessions with one hour each. However, the exact duration depends on your individual case.
Your personal treatment is determined according to the following factors:
How complicated is the inflammation in question? Is it the first root canal treatment or do you need a so-called revision, i.e. a repeated root treatment? Which treatment techniques and which instruments are used?
Pain is usually caused by the inflammation within the tooth. In some cases, premedication with pain killers is necessary in order to guarantee a pain-free treatment. Generally, you don’t need to be afraid of any pain during the procedure. Commonly, the root canal treatment was seen as synonymous with a very painful procedure. Fortunately, these times are long gone. Gentle endodontical methods and local anaesthetics usually render the treatment completely pain-free.
The root canal treatment is aimed at conserving the tooth long-term. The longer the tooth was exposed to caries and the more intricate the individual shape of the root, the more difficult is the treatment. That is why, an early treatment of the canals has the highest prospects for success.
If the root canal treatment is performed by endodontic specialists, the 10-year prospect—with 95 per cent of teeth conserved according to current studies—looks very promising.
In order to maintain the root-filled tooth in the long run, stabilising prosthetic care is advised. Especially in the heavily strained lateral tooth area, a partial or full crown should be used to divert the chewing pressure and protect the tooth.
If problems persist or reoccur after a finished root canal treatment or if X-rays show a continued inflammation, then another treatment has to follow. A root canal treatment therefore means the repeated or renewed treatment of the root filling.
Possible reasons for an unsuccessful root canal treatment are:
- If bacteria as well as micro-organisms haven’t been removed completely from the canal system
- Not all areas of the root canal have been treated
- An extremely fine instrument broke and stayed in the root canal unnoticed
- Tooth filling or crowns are not sealed and cause a new infection
Repeated issues can be throbbing pains, puss-filled swellings and gum boils in form of spots on the gums. In some cases, renewed inflammations are later discovered coincidentally and occur without any visible or palpable symptoms.