Inside the tooth, in the pulp chamber, there is tissue containing blood vessels , cells and nerves, which supplies the mineralized tissue with moist and nutrients.
When the pulp is affected by inflammation and infection, removing it through root canal treatment is necessary.
Endodontic treatment consists of removing the pulp from the pulp chamber and root canals , cleaning and shaping the canals and in the end, filling the canals with a sealer, to prevent further infection of the periapical area in the maxillary bone. The final purpose is keeping the tooth functional, although it becomes a non-vital tooth. The success of a root canal treatment depends on two mail factors: efficiently cleaning the endodontic space and correctly sealing the hole length of the canals to the apical region.
Modern techniques allow more effective shaping of the canals , superior cleaning, new materials assure perfectly sealed obturation. The length of the canals is today electronically measured using apex locators, this way the doctor knows exactly where the root obturation ends. Isolating the tooth with rubber dams prevent contamination with saliva or blood during the treatment.
Some of the indications for root canal treatment are:
