An endodontist is a dentist who specializes in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases in the tissues surrounding the dental crown, as well as nerve and vascular diseases in the soft living tissue of the dental pulp.
Endodontics, which is a Latin term, consists of the words endo, internal and donti, dental. Dentists, after completing their normal education, receive the theoretical and practical training in the root canal treatment section of the internal structure of the tooth, and after completing their PhD education, they are called endodontists.
The pulp provides nourishment during the growth and development phase of the tooth. After the development is completed, it reports problems in the region with pain as a result of possible inflammation or damage to the tooth.
Patients should care about every toothache. When the necessary interventions are not made by specialist endodontist for the problems that start with minor pains, serious problems may occur that affect the whole body. In the past, if the patient had pulp inflammation, tooth extraction was performed. Today, the tooth is successfully saved with root canal treatment.
Decays in the tooth can cause inflammation in the pulp tissue. Infection may occur as a result of bacteria entering through the openings formed as a result of cracking. Traumatic blows to the tooth can damage the pulp living tissue in the tooth. These problems give symptoms such as fever, difficulty in breathing and swallowing, redness and swelling expanding towards the cheek. In such cases, endodontic treatment, also known as root canal treatment, is required in order to save the tooth and improve the general health of the patient.
Decays that cause little or no pain can usually be treated with dental fillings. However, if the patient has severe pain at the time of pressure on the tooth, increased sensitivity to hot or cold foods, swelling and sensitivity in the gingiva in the area close to the decayed tooth, and darkening in the color of the tooth crown, root canal treatment may be required. In cases where the intervention to dental caries with filling is insufficient, if the decays progresses to the pulp and inflammation of the dental nerves begins, the patient will begin to experience very severe pain.
Before starting root canal treatment, the endodontist performs the necessary analysis of the patient’s diagnostic radiograph and root canal morphology. Treatment may take 1-3 sessions depending on the patient’s condition. Local anesthesia is applied to the area to be treated so that the patient does not feel pain. If there is decays, after cleaning, the tooth is opened from the crown part and the pulp is reached. The contents of the root canals will then be cleaned using various instruments.
The use of rasps used according to the structure of the root canal during the treatment is also extremely important. Endodontists also attach great importance to the first use of rasps, their suitability for the procedure, and the control of the manufacturer’s principles of use. Risks are minimized thanks to the gradual progress by applying the pre-expansion process according to the structure of the canal. If incorrect operations are made with unsuitable rasps, the rasps may break in the canal. Since the broken rasps is tried to be removed by bypass or sonic-ultrasonic methods, the treatment process is getting longer.
After the root canals are emptied, disinfection is applied to purify them from bacteria. If there is inflammation in the root canals, medicine are placed in the canals. By using a temporary filling, it is waited for 5-7 days for the medicine to show its effect. When the inflammation disappears, the canal is filled with permanent filling material that will provide tissues compatibility. Teeth with root canal treatment can be used for a long time like other teeth by paying attention to oral care and the foods consumed after the treatment.
