The sensation of cold or heat in the teeth is produced by the nerve fibers and blood vessels in the inner layers of the teeth. When the nerves are damaged, tooth function can also decrease. If tooth decay has reached the pulp chamber/nerve chamber, you should undergo root canal treatment.
The aim of the root canal treatment procedure is to save or repair a tooth that has been infected or damaged, in order to restore the function of the tooth to its original function and prevent wider damage to the tissue around the tooth.
Why is root canal treatment important?
When tooth nerve tissue is damaged, bacteria will multiply and can cause infection. Not only infections, abscesses in the form of pus-filled sacs and even fragments of tooth fragments can also occur.
An abscess appears when the infection spreads to the tip of the tooth root. When someone has an infection, other symptoms they experience are:
- Swelling in the face, neck or around the head
- Jawbone loss in the area of the tooth root tip
- A hole appears on the side of the tooth that can extend into the gums to the cheek.
Often, dental nerves are disturbed because there is a hole that has not been treated, multiple dental procedures, large fillings, cracked teeth, or trauma to the face due to injury.
How is the root canal treatment procedure?
To perform a root canal treatment procedure, more than one visit to the dentist is required. In general, those who perform root canal treatment procedures are specialist conservation dentists.
Before taking action, the doctor will look at the cause, diagnosis, prevention or treatment that must be done. All procedures will be discussed first before being carried out with the patient.
Dental root canal treatment procedure or Root Canal Treatmentamong others:
1. X-ray
To be able to see how the roots of a person’s teeth are and how severe the infection has become, the dentist will do it X-ray gigi
2. Installing rubber dam
To ensure the procedure area remains dry from saliva, the dentist will place rubber dam around the teeth. Usually rubber dam It is green and resistant to liquids.
3. Root canal treatment
Then, the doctor will carry out tooth preparation to gain access to the tooth cavity. All parts, from damaged nerve tissue to tooth fragments, will be removed.
This process must be carried out thoroughly to ensure that all parts of the damaged tooth root are removed completely. Periodically, it will also be sprayed with water or sodium hypochlorite to clean the procedure area from tooth fragments.
4. Further action
After cleaning, the doctor will close the tooth cavity. Usually, this action is only carried out a week later. If there is a time gap, the doctor will provide a temporary filling to protect the cavity from food or saliva.
If there is an infection, the doctor will also treat it first by prescribing antibiotics. During the process sealing Arriving, the doctor will fill the tooth root with gutta percha, A plastic substance made from latex with a rubber-like texture.
5. Dental restoration
The final stage of the tooth root treatment procedure is restoring the tooth. Usually, teeth that have root problems are those that have large holes. For this reason, the doctor needs to install it onlay or crown to protect teeth from subsequent damage.
Why does root canal treatment hurt?
The most unpleasant thing about root canal treatment is the pain and discomfort or pain during the procedure. This is because the tooth crown has been exposed and the hole during treatment has reached the root which is close to the tooth nerve, so it easily causes pain.
In addition, after several days of dental nerve treatment, you may be more sensitive due to inflammation of the tooth tissue, especially if an infection occurred before treatment.
Aches and pains will increase if will The tooth has become infected due to bacteria entering it. If not treated immediately, the infection will spread to the area around the teeth and will cause more serious symptoms, such as swollen gums and pus coming out.
Root canal treatment without immediate crowning of the tooth, what impact does it have? seriously?
Teeth that have large cavities will usually become brittle so that the filling material will not be strong enough to withstand the load of chewing. The purpose of installing a dental crown after root canal treatment is as a solution to this fragility.
Because the tooth is fragile and cannot be filled, the doctor will install a dental crown to protect the tooth that has been treated.
If the tooth has a large cavity and does not continue with the installation of a dental crown, then later when chewing, the tooth is susceptible to breaking. It will also be easier for bacteria to enter the tooth, making the root canal treatment that has been undertaken not last long.
For this reason, it is a good idea to install dental crowns according to the dentist’s recommendations, which are generally recommended to be done immediately after root canal treatment.
How long does root canal treatment take?
Root canal treatment, carried out several times in stages, especially for molars. For this dental treatment, patients will generally come to the dentist 3 to 4 times. However, the treatment procedure per visit does not take long. In addition, patients need about 1 day to get rid of the pain in the root canal after the treatment.
Although root canal treatment procedures tend to be complex, patients usually will not experience severe pain due to anesthesia. It is normal if after the procedure the gums swell or the teeth become more sensitive. The doctor will prescribe pain medication to reduce it.
If the procedure is not completely complete, you should avoid chewing on the part of the tooth that is being treated. Take care to prevent contamination and prevent the tooth from breaking before the root is completely repaired.
Most root canal procedures are successful, with around a 95 percent success rate. Ideally, a tooth that has had its root canal repaired can last a lifetime.
Is root canal treatment covered by BPJS?
According to BPJS Health No. 1 of 2014 Article 52 Paragraph 1, dental and oral care covered by BPJS is:
- Service administration, including patient registration fees and also other administrative costs that occur during the patient care or health service process.
- Examination, treatment and medical consultations related to dental health.
- Premedication, administration of drugs before anesthesia or anesthesia before surgery.
- Oro-dental emergencies.
- Removal of primary teeth with topical anesthesia or infiltration.
- Permanent tooth extraction without complications.
- Medicines after tooth extraction (extraction).
- Filling with composite materials or GIC.
- Teeth cleaning or teeth scaling once a year.
Before carrying out root canal treatment with BPJS, you should ask the health facility whether there are any additional costs required.
Source person:
Dr. Vastya Ihsani, Sp.KG
Dentist Specialist in Dental Conservation
Permata Pamulang Hospital
