The Cause
The most common threat to our teeth is caries. Improper oral hygiene or poor eating habits significantly increase the risk of caries formation and development. Initially, caries develop in small foci in the shape of small spots on the teeth. However, bacteria multiply and occupy more and more of the tooth surface, after which they penetrate deep into the tooth. The resulting lesions noticed in time can be removed relatively easily. If decay develops significantly and the tooth pulp becomes inflamed, root canal therapy is the only form of treatment.
Diagnostics
At Mio-Dent, we begin root canal treatment by X-raying the patient’s teeth. This allows him to see exactly what the infected tooth looks like and how many canals it has. This is an extremely important moment, as the treatment must be performed precisely. The doctor then opens the tooth to get to the diseased pulp. This must be carefully removed, and the empty tooth cleaned and disinfected. The inside of the tooth and its canals are filled with a special substance, and the tooth itself is closed. After the entire procedure, the specialist takes another photo, which allows him to determine whether the substance has thoroughly filled the empty tooth.
Procedure
The procedure itself looks the same. It starts with a photo, the tooth is opened, cleaned, filled and closed again. Finally, another photo is taken. The difference is using a microscope, which accurately illuminates the treated area and magnifies the image from 6 to 25 times. Thanks to the microscope, the specialist will immediately notice any potential hazards that could be overlooked by the naked eye. The precision achieved in this way allows the root canal treatment procedure to be carried out much more efficiently, so there is no need to repeat it.
The procedure usually takes one to three hours. The time depends on the location of the tooth. Molars have more canals that need to be cleaned, and access to them is more difficult. Front teeth usually have only one canal and very easy access. And how long does root canal treatment under the microscope take? The procedure itself takes the same amount of time, but with the use of a microscope, the specialist has better access, which means that the entire treatment can be completed in one visit. With traditional root canal treatment, additional office visits may be needed.