Root canal treatment

When your tooth tissue becomes inflamed, it may be necessary to undergo root canal treatment. Have you had painful teeth or molars for some time? Please contact Tandartsenpraktijk Carmenlaan in Amstelveen directly. Our dentists specialize in endodontics and are happy to inform you about root canal treatment. Have you not visited our practice before? Then simply register.

When a root canal treatment?

Your teeth consist of a crown and roots. The crown is the visible part of your tooth and the roots are in your gums. You don’t see this one. Each root contains a root canal, which consists of nerve fibers and small blood vessels. This tissue is alive and is also called pulp. This living tissue can become inflamed through a fall, tooth decay, deep or leaking filling. A dentist can determine whether there is or has been an infection. If this is the case, he will perform a root canal treatment.

Symptoms of inflamed dental tissue

Inflamed dental tissue is often accompanied by the following symptoms or complaints:

• Teeth and molars are extra sensitive to heat and cold

• Pain when pressing on the tooth or molar

• Swelling of the cheek or gums

• Severe toothache Inflammatory fluid or pimples on the gums

In some cases you have no complaints (yet). It is therefore very important to have regular check-ups. Your dentist can then see whether the dental tissue is or has been inflamed, for example when taking a control photo or when filling a molar.

The treatment

A root canal treatment consists of 2 steps: the consultation and the treatment itself. In addition, proper aftercare is necessary for a quick and successful recovery.

Consultation and preliminary investigation

As with other dental treatments, we start with a general mouth examination to map out the situation of your teeth. We can make a diagnosis based on the description of your complaint, the X-rays and other tests. In addition, we map the complexity of the root canal treatment with the DETI score, also known as the root canal classification score. This points system was developed by the Dutch dentist profession. This allows us to determine the degree of difficulty of the treatment. To determine the DETI score, we look at various factors that influence the situation.

Personal treatment
plan We draw up a personal treatment plan for you based on the information from the tests performed, X-rays and DETI score. We think it is important that this plan is fully tailored to your situation. For example, are you afraid of the dentist? We can also take this into account. When drawing up the treatment plan, we also look at the various treatment options, your wishes and any risks. You will also receive a budget, so that you have insight into the costs in advance.

The root canal treatment

During the consultation, the dentist mapped out the situation and drew up a treatment plan. We can now start the treatment. We will schedule a treatment appointment with you for this. During the second appointment, we go through the following steps:

1. Local anesthetic
   The treatment is done under local anesthetic. The anesthetic is administered via an injection. As a result, you will not feel anything during the treatment and it will be as comfortable as possible. If the nerve in the root canal has died as a result of the infection, an anesthetic is often not necessary. You can indicate your preference to the practitioner.

2. Drying
   The dentist places a rubber dam, also called a rubber dam. With this rubber patch, the dentist isolates the tooth or molar that needs to be treated and creates a clean work area. It also protects the oral cavity against rinsing agents and the small instruments that the dentist uses during root canal treatment.

3. Drilling and removing dead tissue The dentist drills a small hole in the chewing surface of the tooth. He removes the inflamed dental tissue and nerve from the canal with a file.

4. Disinfection and filling The dentist rinses the tooth with a disinfectant. He then fills the cleaned channels with rubber pins. Finally, he closes the molar nicely with a filling.

In some cases the treatment takes place in two appointments. In the first appointment, the inflamed tissue is removed and in the second appointment we fill the channels and molars. After the first treatment you will then receive a temporary filling.

After treatment

After the treatment you can quickly eat and drink again. We recommend that you only eat and drink after your anesthetic has worn off. This usually takes one to two hours. You do not have full control over your mouth and so there is a high chance that you will make a mess. It is also very important that you maintain good oral hygiene. Brush your teeth twice a day and use dental floss or brushes to clean the spaces between your teeth.

After we have cleaned the root canals and the molar has been filled again, you will notice that the complaints disappear quickly. However, you can still experience mild symptoms up to a few weeks after the treatment. This is normal and is part of the healing process. In some cases, it can take months to fully heal.

Rates root canal treatment

The costs for a root canal and other dental treatments are determined annually by the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa). This is done on behalf of the government. For example, the costs for dental treatment are the same in all Dutch dental practices. Below you will find an overview of the most common costs of a root canal treatment in 2020.

Are you curious about the fixed rates for all dental treatments? View our full rate list here. The above rates are revised every year. For the most recent rates, we would like to refer you to the Dutch Healthcare Authority.

The retreatment

In most cases, a root canal treatment has a high chance of success, but sometimes root tip inflammation does not heal completely or complaints arise again. In that case, re-treatment must take place. A retreatment is the same as a normal root canal treatment, but the previously placed root posts must be removed. As a result, a retreatment can take longer than a “normal” root canal treatment.

Apex resection

In some cases it is not possible to clean the root canal up to the root tip. For example when the root tip is strongly curved or when a root post has been placed earlier. If the root tip is not cleaned properly, the inflammation will remain and it can spread to the jawbone.
We call this root tip inflammation. A root tip infection can also occur several months after a root canal treatment. When root canal treatment is not possible or desired to remove root tip inflammation, the inflammation can be removed by surgery.
This treatment is called an apex resection.

Contact

Do you have questions about root canal treatment and would you like personal advice? Feel free to contact us by calling 020-3455345. We are available Monday to Thursday from 8.30 am to 11.30 am and from 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm. Or fill in the contact form. We will contact you as soon as possible. Do you suffer