Endodontics - Treatment, Procedure And Side Effects

Endodontics treatment covers a range of procedures conducted by a dentist or an endodontist and can include a root canal treatment. Endodontic treatments are focused more on the tissues and the dental pulp, which surround the tooth. Any damage to the tissues is duly repaired through the root canal and other appropriate endodontics treatments. The expert will conduct the procedures after doing a thorough diagnosis and making sure of the nature of the condition. Where essential, the endodontist will take the help of all the diagnostic tools available, apart from a physical examination. These could include X-rays as well.

The treatment will be usually spread over two or more sessions. There are also occasions when re-treatments are necessitated within the endodontics treatment space. These can be found by the doctor or due to the feedback from the patient on any kind of discomfort he or she may be experiencing after the first set of procedures. Here, the dental surgeon can make use of even more advanced technologies, not only for diagnostic purposes but even during the surgery.

Other treatments within the umbrella of endodontics include tooth root-end resection procedure, which the professionals call apicoectomy. In fact, the field of endodontics, to practice which a dentist has to have special additional qualifications, is also popular for saving the tooth, beyond just removing or doing implants.

In the case of the root canal treatment, the endodontist first reaches the portion beneath the enamel, which is known as the pulp or tissue. It is the infection or decay of this part that causes the problem. The specialist will first remove the decayed portions and clean the area thoroughly. But first, the patient will have to be administered local anaesthetic to numb portions of the mouth the surgeon will be working on. After cleaning up the tissues and ensuring that the area is fully disinfected, the gaps created will be filled in with a special substance called gutta-percha. This is a kind of paste with rubber-like flexibility. The endodontist will then ask the patient to return the next day to fix a crown. If a crown cannot be fitted for any reason, then some other filling will be used. The objective is to restore the teeth to their normal functioning, like chewing and biting. Endodontists also perform microsurgeries to save teeth. Called apicoectomy, in this procedure, the specialist reaches the root of the tooth and repairs any damaged or decayed tissue and after the root-end is removed, the filling is done and the tooth saved. The treatment makes sure the bone heals over time and the tooth does not fall.

There are really no known side effects of undergoing any of the endodontic procedures. In exceptional cases, if the decayed part of the tissues is not fully removed or cleaned up, the pain resurfaces after a while. These are also taken care of by re-treatment.

One can avail the services of a good endodontist in India for root canal treatment or other procedures and the average professional fees can be in the range of INR 3500 to INR 6000. The expenses on medicines or other items may be additional.

The results can vary with individuals. In a majority of cases, there may be a need for a revisit after a few years. The endodontist may decide to replace the crown after repairing and cleaning up the tissues. It can, therefore, be described as ‘semi-permanent’.

The only alternative to avoiding an endodontics treatment such as root canal is to go in for extraction of the tooth or teeth. Again, the decision to suggest the best treatment depends on the exact condition of the tooth and the tissue when being examined by the doctor.