The procedure of root canal treatment
Treatment is carried out in several well-planned sessions to preserve the tooth and fight the infection. The root canal treatment process in our practice in Munich is as follows:
First session – diagnosis and cleaning: At the beginning, a detailed examination is carried out, usually supported by X-rays, to assess the extent of the inflammation. After local anesthesia, the tooth is opened, i.e. the root canal entrances are visualized. The infected pulp is removed with the help of special instruments and chemical ultrasonic cleaning, so that the root canal is thoroughly cleaned.
Determination of the channel size: To determine the exact length of each root canal, we use an electrometric length measuring device. This allows us to avoid additional X-rays under certain circumstances.
With special nickel-titanium files, every single root canal is cleaned up to the root tip. This is done under constant control by the length measuring device.
Disinfection and medication :At the end of the first root canal treatment, the tooth is closed with a temporary plastic so that no new bacteria can enter.
Second session – further cleaning and filling: In the second session, the tooth is opened again, and the root canal is further cleaned with chemical ultrasound devices and special nickel-titanium files. As soon as the tooth is symptom-free, the root canals are permanently sealed with a special cement (sealer) and latex pins (gutta-percha ). Since this cement has to harden for 24 hours, the tooth is covered again with temporary plastic before this temporary restoration is replaced with a special build-up plastic that remains in the tooth as a stable basis for later preparation (grinding).
Root-treated teeth become brittle over time because they are no longer nourished. The risk of these breaking apart is very high. Therefore, root-treated teeth are crowned in order to cover them and prevent loss of the tooth due to fracture.