Root Canal Treatment

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• Root canal treatment is a procedure to remove diseased pulp from a root canal in your tooth. Each tooth has a crown, dentin, pulp, and one or more roots. The crown is the part of your tooth that you can see. Dentin is hard tissue under the crown that surrounds the pulp. The pulp is tissue that contains nerves and blood vessels that fill your tooth roots. Each root secures your tooth to your gum and jawbone. A root canal can treat infected pulp or an abscess (pus pocket) around your tooth root. You may need root canal treatment if you have a hole in your tooth from a cavity (decay).
  
  
• You may also need root canal treatment if you have tooth damage from an injury. Tooth damage and infection may cause pain and swelling. It may be hard for you to bite down with the infected tooth. Your root canal treatment is completed in one or more visits to your caregiver. During the procedure, dental tools are used to clean the damaged or infected pulp out of your tooth root. A filling is put into your root canal to replace the pulp that was removed. Root canal treatment may resolve your symptoms, such as swelling. Root canal treatment may resolve an infection, and prevent the infection from spreading to nearby areas. Root canal treatment may allow you to use your tooth without having pain.

CARE AGREEMENT:

You have the right to help plan your care. Learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. Discuss treatment options with your caregivers to decide what care you want to receive. You always have the right to refuse treatment.

RISKS:

• During your root canal treatment, the cleaning fluid may splash on your face or in your eyes. If bleach is used to clean the root, it may enter nearby tissues and cause swelling, bruising, and infection. The tip of a dental tool may break or get stuck in your root canal. You may also swallow the tip if it drops into your mouth. You may swallow small pieces of tooth created when drilling and cleaning the tooth. Your tooth or root may be damaged. After your root canal treatment, you may have pain and swelling. Pain and swelling could last for a long period of time.
  
  
• You may get a fistula (abnormal tissue opening) between your tooth root and your sinus. The procedure may not remove all of the diseased tissue. Saliva (spit) may enter the root canal during the procedure, and you may get a new infection. Your tooth may not heal, and you may not be able to use your tooth as you normally would. Your tooth root may not be filled completely, or the seal may not be tight. This may allow germs to enter your tooth and cause an infection. You may need another root canal treatment, or your tooth may need to be removed.
  
  
• If you do not have root canal treatment, your symptoms, such as pain and swelling, may get worse. The pain may make it hard for you to bite down with your tooth. Your infection may spread into tissues around your tooth and create an abscess. The infection may cause the bone around your tooth to break down. You may need to have your tooth removed. Talk with your caregiver if you have questions or concerns about your procedure or condition.

WHILE YOU ARE HERE:

Before your procedure:

• Informed consent: A consent form is a legal document that explains the tests, treatments, or procedures that you may need. Informed consent means you understand what will be done and can make decisions about what you want. You give your permission when you sign the consent form. You can have someone sign this form for you if you are not able to sign it. You have the right to understand your medical care in words you know. Before you sign the consent form, understand the risks and benefits of what will be done. Make sure all your questions are answered.
  
  
• Medicine:
  
  
  • Antibiotic medicine: Antibiotics may be given to help prevent or treat an infection from germs called bacteria.
    
    
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine: This family of medicine is also called NSAIDs. This medicine helps decrease pain and inflammation (swelling).
  
  
• X-ray: An x-ray of your mouth may be done to check the health of your tooth and the bone around it. An x-ray also shows your caregiver the shape of the tooth roots to be cleaned.
  
  
• Local anesthesia: This medicine makes you more comfortable during your procedure. A shot of local anesthesia medicine is put into the lining of your mouth around your tooth. Local anesthesia numbs the area and dulls your pain. You may still feel pressure or pushing during the procedure after you get this medicine.

During your procedure:

• You will sit or lie back in a dental chair during your procedure. If you have a filling or other dental device on your tooth, your caregiver removes it. A rubber sheet, called a rubber dam, is put around your tooth. The rubber sheet separates your tooth from the rest of your mouth. The rubber sheet helps prevent saliva from entering the root canal. The rubber sheet also helps prevent you from breathing in or swallowing liquids or small tooth pieces. Your caregiver may use a dental drill to remove the crown of your tooth to reach the pulp. Your caregiver may also drill a hole in the crown to reach the pulp and root canal.
  
  
• Your caregiver will begin removing the diseased pulp from the tooth. An x-ray picture may help measure the length of your root canal. Your caregiver cleans the remaining diseased pulp from the root canal using dental tools and cleaning fluids. Once all of the pulp is removed, your caregiver cleans the open root canal with germ-killing liquid. The root canal, and area around it, is dried, and a filling is put inside your tooth root. Your caregiver covers your tooth with a temporary (short-term) or permanent man-made crown. If there is swelling in the root canal, your caregiver may fill the roots with a steroid paste. The paste helps decrease swelling before a permanent crown is placed over the tooth. If a temporary crown is used, your caregiver replaces it with a permanent crown about one week later.

After your procedure:

Once your root canal treatment is done, you can go home. Ask your caregiver when you can eat and drink again. Ask for any special instructions for caring for your tooth after a root canal. Also ask your caregiver when to return to complete your treatment or for a follow-up visit.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

Learn more about Root Canal Treatment (Inpatient Care)