Frequently Asked Questions
What is endodontics?
Endo- internal. [Greek endon 'within']
odonto- relating to tooth. [Greek odont 'tooth']
-logy (ology) denoting a subject of study [Greek logia]
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Oxford English Dictionary, 2004
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Endodontics is the branch of dentistry that is concerned with the management of the hollow space inside the tooth, commonly known as the 'root canal'. This space contains the nerves and blood supply of the tooth, called the 'dental pulp', which helps to nourish a healthy tooth. The dental pulp also helps to protect a diseased tooth.
Endodontology is the study of the pulp in health and disease. It concerns all aspects of dentistry that may directly or indirectly affect the pulp.
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The anatomy of a tooth
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The tooth is divided into the Crown and the Root. The crown is the ‘white biting surface’ that you can see on the tooth. The root (or roots) of a tooth holds the tooth in the jawbone, which is surrounded by ‘gums’.
The hard outer surface of the crown is the Enamel. Beneath this is the hard Dentine, which can transmit sensations to the Pulp. The pulp, containing nerves & blood vessels, extends into the roots of the tooth. These nerve & blood vessels exit the tooth through openings at the tip of the root into the jawbone, where they join a larger blood & nerve supply from the body. |
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Causes of tooth disease
There are approximately 500 different species of bacteria that can normally be found in the mouth. These bacteria, when given the opportunity, are responsible for causing the dental diseases such as caries ('decay'), periodontal ('gum & bone') disease and endodontic ('root canal') infections. The pulp can get inflamed or, in the worst cases infected, when the tooth's natural defences (the hard enamel and reparative pulp-dentine) are breached. The usual causes of such breaches are deep decay, repeated dental procedures on the tooth, or trauma to the tooth.
The pulp is a delicate organ and very often does not survive multiple injuries by bacteria, heat or chemical irritation (usually from filling materials). With mild irritation the pulp may just become inflamed and if managed early enough, the inflammation can be reversed. However, when the pulp 'dies', the resulting infection becomes established inside the root canal and may lead to an abscess in the bone.
At this point, the tooth may either be extracted or saved by carrying out root canal treatment (Endodontic treatment).
Signs of pulp damage include pain, prolonged sensitivity to heat and cold, discolouration of the tooth, and swelling and tenderness in the nearby gums. Occasionally there are no symptoms and you may be completely unaware that there is a low-grade underlying infection in the tooth.
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What is involved in root canal treatment?
Conventional endodontic treatment is a highly skilled procedure that involves gaining access to the pulp chamber and root canals of the tooth. The fine root canals need to be enlarged to allow cleaning solutions and medicaments to be placed in the canal space. A suitable rubber-based filling material can then be placed in the prepared root canal. This filling material provides a seal, preventing bacteria re-entering the tooth to cause another infection.
Can I see the result in my mouth?
You can only see the results of a root filling on the radiographs (X-Ray film) of your tooth. The two figures are examples of pre- and post treatment radiographs.
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