If you need to get a root canal, you may think that it's a one-size-fits-all procedure. However, there are many types of endodontic procedures, such as a partial root canal. You may be a good candidate for a more conservative root canal procedure. Read on to learn about different root canal procedures and why certain treatments are better in certain scenarios.
What Is the Goal of Root Canal Therapy?
A dentist's goal during root canal therapy is to eliminate infected pulp so you don't suffer from dental abscesses, pain, or tooth loss.
The pulp chamber in a tooth is the center of your tooth that contains blood vessels nerve endings, and tissue. The pulp chamber has channels that extend down the roots of your teeth (root canals). If you have cavities that break through the enamel and infect the pulp, you may need root canal therapy to treat the issue.
What Are the Different Types of Root Canal Procedures?
When people think of a root canal procedure, they may think that the entirety of your pulp tissue is always removed. However, a dentist may only remove a portion of the pulp depending on how severe the infection is. To treat infected pulp, your dentist could perform a pulpotomy, pulpectomy, or an apicoectomy.
Pulpotomy
During a pulpotomy, your dentist will just remove pulp tissue from the crown portion of your tooth. He or she will not remove tissue that extends into the roots. A pulpotomy can be used to treat people with large restorations, cracked-tooth syndrome, or symptomatic irreversible pulpitis (SIP, or pulp inflammation).
During this procedure, your dentist will remove inflamed pulp tissue and seal the area with an endodontic cement called mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA).
Pulpectomy
A pulpectomy goes a step further: your dentist will remove infected pulp tissue in the tooth roots. During your first appointment, your dentist will administer antibiotics to reduce the infection. At your second appointment, the dentist will remove the infected pulp, clean the canal, and seal the canal.
Apicoectomy
If the infected pulp extends beyond your tooth's roots, your dentist may recommend an apicoectomy to save your tooth. Besides removing diseased pulp, your dentist will remove a portion of the tooth root as well.
Are You a Candidate for Conservative Treatment?
If decay is new and has just reached your pulp tissue, that doesn't mean the entire pulp will be infected. Inflammation may be localized to one area and not spread through the entire pulp tissue. If you fall into this category, you may be a good candidate for a conservative treatment called pulp capping.
During this procedure, your dentist will cover dentin that's closest to the pulp with a biocompatible material to preserve the pulp and reduce the risk of the infection spreading.
If your infection is minimal, your dentist may still want to proceed with a pulpotomy. You may be also able to get by with a conservative treatment called a partial pulpotomy. During this procedure, your dentist will remove a portion of the coronal pulp and then seal it off. Recent studies
have shown good success rates after both pulp capping and partial pulpotomies.
If you aren't a candidate for conservative treatment, you may wonder if you should just have the tooth extracted instead of going through a root canal therapy. However, if your tooth is extracted, your jawbone can shrink. You will also need to get a prosthesis or other restoration to restore form and function. Healing after an extraction can take longer and can be more uncomfortable than healing after a root canal.
In short, while a conservative treatment may be preferable, more invasive root canal treatments, like an apicoectomy, should be considered before an extraction. Reach out to us at Family Dental Care of Wilmington for more information on root canal therapy.
