Root Canal – Ask Dr. Farooq Sorathia
Why Do I Need A Root Canal?
We first have to understand the tooth structure to appreciate the rationale of root canal treatment. The outer covering of the tooth, which appears white, is called enamel. This is the hardest substance in the human body. Enamel, in reality, isn’t white but is a translucent off-white colour. What we see is actually the reflection of the underlying dentin, which is a pale yellowish colour. Dentin, which is under the enamel, has millions of tubules through which fluids are distributed throughout the tooth. This is what makes the dentin less dense and makes it easier for the decay to spread. Root Canals are channels in the tooth where the nerves and blood vessels (collectively known as the pulp) pass through and provide nutrients, fluids and sensation to the tooth.
When an individual has caries, it starts from the enamel and then progresses to the dentin, and because the dentin is less dense than enamel, caries spread more rapidly. If unattended, it can affect the pulp, which is the life source of the tooth. When the pulp gets infected, then the pulp swells up and severe pain is felt. As I mentioned earlier, the pulp is enclosed within a hard casing which is the dentin and enamel, so as the pressure increases, the tooth isn’t elastic to accommodate the swelling and as a result, the pressure from the swelling in the pulp strangulating the nerve. As the pressure increases, it doesn’t allow the blood and nutrients to flow which slowly starves the tooth killing the tooth slowly.
Once the pulp is infected, it is necessary to remove the infected tissue through root canal therapy. The dentist makes a hole in the centre of the tooth to gain access to the pulp and then uses specialised instruments and chemicals to clean the root canals and attempts to remove the bacteria that may have invaded the dental tubules. The dentist has to measure the length of the tooth, using either X-rays or other specialised equipment. As a tooth has to be prepared to place a filling, root canals also need to be prepared to place a filling in the cleaned and empty channels that used to house the pulp. Once that is completed, a filling is used to close the access to the root canal and a crown placed on the tooth to protect it.
