Within conservative dentistry, the procedure par excellence is the Root Canal Treatment .
It aims to save the tooth whose vitality has been affected by external agents such as cavities, fractures or occlusal trauma.
At the Asiri Dental Care Center in Quito you will find your ideal endodontist who will use all his experience to save your tooth.
Table of Content
What is a Root Canal Treatment?
Once decay reaches deep inside your teeth, it affects the dental pulp.
The pulp is the innermost tissue of the teeth that reaches the apex of the roots. It is also known as the dental nerve.
It can also happen that when biting the teeth they hit each other or collide (occlusal trauma), causing the pulp to suffer continuous blows that mistreat it to death.
When the nerve dies, it causes infection1 and it is necessary to extract it completely and leave the pulp cavity and root canals completely disinfected and sealed.
The space occupied by the pulp is filled to maintain the structure of the tooth and prevent the entry of microorganisms. This filling is made with cones of gutta-percha↗.
Then we proceed to rehabilitate the crown (place amalgam or resin) to restore the function of the tooth that otherwise would have been necessary to extract.
This whole procedure is called root canal treatment. It is a technique that allows to keep in the mouth and 100% functional, teeth affected by deeper cavities
Who Performs a Root Canal Treatment?
Due to the meticulous nature of this technique, this procedure is performed by a Specialist Dentist in the area, a Endodontist
At the Asiri Dental Center in Quito we have fully trained endodontists so that your root canal treatment in Quito, Ecuador is going to be successful.
To carry them out safely and reliably, the specialist has special equipment, for example, rotary endodontic instruments, ultrasound and apex locators.
Photo: Archivo Asiriodonto
What Happens if a Root Canal Treatment is not Performed Well?
There are many causes that can lead to the failure of a root canal treatment, which is why it is so important that it be performed by a specialist.
The main flaw that leads us to endodontic retreatment is that the “filling” does not hermetically seal the root canal (inside the root of the tooth).
This lack of sealing opens the way to the entry of bacteria that end up contaminating the interior of the tooth
This is when a endodontic retreatment or reendodontia; which is by If a somewhat more complex procedure than the first treatment.
For this reason, more than the price, it is much more important that you go to professionals who really have extensive experience in endodontics .
In addition to experience, they must have the instruments and equipment necessary for successful treatment.
Why Should I Have a Root Canal?
Our teeth are essential for our life, they allow us to chew, they intervene in speech and in the maintenance of the bone tissue of our jaw.
Losing a tooth reduces these functions and also has adverse effects on other teeth neighboring the lost tooth.
When a tooth is lost, the chewing “companion” tooth also tends to come out in search of its antagonist.
Endodontics keeps teeth in the mouth that would otherwise have been lost and places neighboring teeth at high risk as well.
Hence the high value of this dental specialty in keeping teeth in the mouth.
When is a Root Canal Treatment Necessary?
Having a root canal treatment is a decision that only your trusted dentist or endodontic dentist can determine.
An assessment should be carried out in the clinic evaluating your symptoms as the response of the tooth to stimuli such as cold, heat or percussion (tapping).
Similarly, a periapical X-ray is performed (a very close shot of the affected tooth) to evaluate the disease it presents
This radiograph also shows the length and shape of the roots of the tooth, allowing to define the endodontic technique to be used.
How to relieve dental pain?
It will always be your trusted dentist who will be able to indicate the treatment to follow, which will most likely be with painkillers or dental local anesthetics.
Post-endodontic Restoration
After performing a root canal, the rehabilitation specialist must evaluate the condition in which the outer part of the tooth (crown) was left.
After this evaluation, the type of restoration that is needed to be able to rehabilitate the tooth in its entirety is determined.
There are several options for dental rehabilitation or restorations that can be performed:
- Restoration with resin or shim
- Inlay / Onlay 2
- Crown
The decision is made based on the amount of remaining walls of the tooth that underwent endodontics
The simplest possible restore has the highest priority. Thus, more options are available ahead of time when the chosen option already expires.
This restoration must be carried out in a period not exceeding 15 days to avoid the risk of failure due to reinfections.
In this case, the root canal treatment is lost and a re-endodontia is required, which is a more delicate process than the same normal treatment.
General Indications After Root Canal Treatment
For a period of no more than 15 days after the root canal treatment is finished, it is necessary to carry out a definitive restoration (amalgam, resin, inlay or crown), which are additional procedures with other risks and costs, otherwise there is a risk of coronary leakage and therefore symptomatic apical periodontitis with frequent discomfort and subsequent persistence of apical lesions that could lead to the failure of endodontic treatment and in more severe cases, root fracture and loss of the dental unit.
The treatment must be completed in the sessions indicated by the physician, although the initial procedures eliminate the symptoms, such as pain and inflammation, otherwise the symptoms and lesions may reappear or advance, compromising the prognosis.
In general terms, the medication indicated by your dentist should be followed to the letter, which is focused on reducing pain, inflammation and in some cases infection.
In the event of any change in health or in the indicated medical treatment, it is necessary that you immediately notify the specialist who performed your treatment.
Risks and Discomforts
Although with very low probabilities and as in any medical / dental procedure, there are certain risks that are run when performing a root canal treatment. Here is a list of them:
- Postoperative discomfort can last a few hours to several days and for which medication is indicated, if necessary
- Fractures of the tooth or an instrument within the canal
- Perforation of the root canal
- Worsening of the existing pathology
- Changes in tooth color.
- Inflammation of surrounding tissues
- Temporary limitation in the opening of the mouth.
- Depending on the infection situation in which the tooth is located and although the correct technique is carried out, the treatment may not be successful, and it may be necessary to carry out another treatment such as retreatment or apical surgery or extraction.
- The substances used can cause bruising, pain and inflammation
Alternatives to Root Canals
Instead of this treatment, one could resort to the extraction (extraction) of the tooth for a future restoration via dental implants or prostheses. In any case, in the first instance, it is best to try to keep the natural tooth in the mouth for aesthetic and functional aspects.
Price of a Root Canal Treatment in Ecuador
The cost of a root canal treatment depends on several factors such as the number of roots of the tooth to be treated and the level of difficulty of the treatment , below we list the most important
Amount of Tooth Roots to be Treated:
It follows that the price is different for a treatment on single root teeth such as front teeth or teeth with several roots such as premolars or molars .
Level of Treatment Difficulty:
At this point there are many variables, but the most important are:
Patient’s Medical History:
- Existence or not of Pregnancy
- Cardiovascular disease
- Infectious contagious disease
- Mental disorders
- Congenital diseases
Problems With Local Anesthesia:
- Depth of analgesia
- Need for anesthesia without vasoconstrictor
General Factors:
- Patient susceptible to nausea
- Patient has difficulty opening the mouth
- Difficulty taking oral X-rays
Presence of Calcifications:
- Inside the chamber
- Inside the canal
Anatomy of the Canals or Ducts
- Number of canals
- Regular bends
- Angulations / dilacerations
- Apical bends
- Bifurcations
- State of the apex (closed, open …)
In general terms, the price of a root canal in Ecuador, when performed by a certified endodontist is around $ 180 for front teeth, $ 200 for premolars and $ 240 for molars
These prices do not include the final restoration
Conclusions
Saving your teeth through root canal treatment is a decision that goes far beyond its price.
The experience of the endodontist who is going to perform the treatment is a key factor in ensuring the success of the procedure.
Making a mistake in this choice can lead to the permanent loss of your tooth or in the best of cases, spending much more money having to have a root canal retreatment.
References
- Langeland, K. (1987), Tissue response to dental caries. Dental Traumatology, 3: 149-171. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-9657.1987.tb00619.x ↩︎
- Chrepa, V, Konstantinidis, I, Kotsakis, GA, Mitsias, ME. The survival of indirect composite resin onlays for the restoration of root filled teeth: a retrospective medium-term study. International Endodontic Journal, 47, 967– 973, 2014.. Disponible en: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/iej.12242 ↩︎
When endodontics gets more than difficult, Dr. Liliana is always there to advise us and guide us towards successful treatment
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