is root canal treatment really worth it?

Root canal is a ‘life saving’ procedure for severely decayed or damaged teeth. It is one of the most common dental procedures which is performed to save your natural tooth and prevent the need for dental implants or bridges. As root canal specialists (endodontists) use the latest techniques and materials including performing the procedure under a microscope (Carl Zeiss OPMI pico) to ensure a smooth root canal therapy which many people report is no more uncomfortable than getting a dental filling. The tooth is made up of three primary layers- the outer hard white enamel, the middle yellow dentine and the innermost nerve called the pulp. The pulp is essentially a collection of blood vessels that help to build the surrounding tooth. Infection to the pulp can be caused by deep decay, trauma, cracks/tooth fracture, old amalgam fillings and even repeated dental procedures. This can result in visible injury or swelling of the tooth, pain, sensitivity to water or temperature, gum pain, food lodgement and sometimes even no symptoms at all. In some situations you may have transient symptoms which when ignored results  in progression of the infection which finally results in such severe damage to the tooth that RCT will be your only option to save the tooth.

 If a tooth is removed, the replacement which would be an implant or bridge which has a success and failure rate and with their own set of challenges.  Also placing an implant or bridge will require significantly more time and may require additional procedures to neighbouring teeth and supporting tissues. No replacement, no matter how well fabricated, is as good as your natural tooth. Should a reasonable success rate be expected with the root canal, it is always best to try and save your tooth. The alternatives will still be available if the tooth does not respond to the root canal but not the other way around. It is always better to save the tooth with RCT since modern endodontic techniques have made the procedure virtually painless and comfortable.

Root canal treatment does not cause pain, it relieves it. People are often worried about the prospects of pain during root canal therapy and the key to a painless procedure is definitive local anesthesia. Endodontists always use a combination of numbing gel and local anesthetic agent to completely numb the area with the latest techniques and the anesthesia will be confirmed before beginning the procedure.Painless endodontic therapy is possible with today’s technology and the understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the oral
neurorovasculature. 

New technologies which are available at Summit Dental Clinic to ensure a smooth and painless precise root canal treatment includes-

1.     Operating microscope- In addition to digital radiographs which reduce the x-ray exposure, we also utilise operating microscopes (Carl Zeiss OPMI pico) which magnify our field of view upto 30 times and illuminate our field with Xenon fiber optic illumination. This combination allows for exceptional diagnostic technical ability to treat the tiny root canal spaces inside your tooth. Such microsurgical techniques have revolutionised endodontic care within the last ten years and allows for a far superior quality of care today than ever before. Today, problems such as cracks, root fractures and calcified canals can be better visualised and therefore treated. Also a video camera on the operating microscope can record images of your tooth to further document our findings. It is our belief that RCT should only be performed under these mircoscopes for the highest quality of care to be rendered.

2.     Apex locators- these machines allow for the electronic and accurate measurement of the root length to precisely verify the radiographic findings. They improve the quality of care and allow for more
precision based endodontics.

3.     Sonic activation- electronic instruments are now available which create sonic vibrations, which clean the root canals more effectively and efficiently. These instruments increase the quality of care and
allow for success in situations that were previously hopeless.

4.     Nickle Titanium instrumentation- Today, the cleaning and shaping of root canals is no longer a brute procedure done with hand files. The job is now down with mechanised, engine driven rotary files that have made the procedure more efficient, predictable, quieter and far more comfortable than ever before.

For more information contact us at +91 9986947722, +91 8023340207 or email us at summitdentalclinic@gmail.com