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What Is Root Canal Treatment and Why Do We Need It?

Reviewed by

Dr. Angeline Lee, Dentist

Last Updated: 2023-05-24

3 min read

When do you need root canal treatment?

Toothache is a common problem experienced by the general public. According to the Oral Health Report by the World Health Organization in 2011, over 70% of participants have experienced tooth sensitivity or pain. Tooth pain is elicited when there is a damage to the tooth structures. This is commonly caused by tooth decay, forceful brushing habits, clenching habits, or cracked tooth induced by eating hard food such as nuts or cartilages. When the damage reaches the center of the tooth that houses the blood vessels and nerves, i.e the root canal, inflammation will ensue, sometimes resulting in moderate to severe pain. The pain can be spontaneous, or triggered by the consumption of cold or hot food substance, which could last for hours and disturb your sleep. The infection could spread and cause gum boils or even swelling of the face. If you experience any of these symptoms, it often indicates infection of the root canal system and root canal treatment will be needed.

Damaged tooth structure

Root canal treatment procedures

Root canal treatment aims at removing the damaged and infected tissues in the core of a tooth, in order to allow for the resolution of infection and to restore the tooth function. This is often achieved by the non-surgical method of root canal treatment. Depending on the severity of the infection, the root canal treatment might take one or multiple appointments.

Over the course of the root canal treatment, your dentist will

Remove the infected tissues
Rinse the root canals with disinfecting solution
Place antibacterial medication and a temporary restoration to protect the tooth in between appointments
Seal off the cleaned root canals and restore the tooth

While traditionally the entire root canal will be extirpated, current technology allows for variations of root canal treatment such as vital pulp therapy, which helps preserve the vital healthy tissues within the root canal even after treatment. This can be performed by specialists or specialty-trained dentists.

Endo Large.jpeg — Dentist conducts endodontic treatment

Recovery after a root canal treatment

After the root canal treatment, a crown will often be needed to protect the root-treated tooth. It is also important to maintain good oral hygiene and avoid hard food. Your dentist will usually perform a review 6 to 12 months after the treatment. During the review, the dentist will assess thoroughly to confirm that the tooth functions well clinically and presents with signs of healing radiographically. If indicated, cone-beam computed tomography might be required to help evaluate the condition of the tooth and its surrounding bone three-dimensionally. While most root-treated teeth heal within 1 year, some might take a few years to achieve complete healing. Hence, it is essential for you to attend regular review appointments as suggested by your dentist to monitor the healing progress.

Sometimes for cases that do not heal completely after the first non-surgical root canal treatment, you might need to seek help from an endodontic specialist. Some teeth might require a second non-surgical root canal treatment, while for other teeth a minor oral surgery will be performed to directly access the infected tissues near the root apex. Despite the small percentage of these cases that require further intervention, the success rate for non-surgical root canal treatment is high and has been reported to be over 90%. The success rate is obtained based on treatment performed by specialists or specialty-trained operators.

Root canal treatment is a successful therapy to treat teeth with infected root canal systems, by removing infected tissues and restoring tooth function. It is important to follow your dentist’s instructions to maintain good oral health and attend regular reviews after the root canal treatment, in order to monitor the healing progress.

Programme Director, Endodontology
Master of Dental Surgery in Endodontology
Dr Angeline Lee
&
Master of Dental Surgery in Endodontology
Year 3 Student
Dr Kathy Lai

hku dentistry logo.jpg

This article was independently written by a third person or organisation. The opinions expressed in this article are of those of the authors. It is informative only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be relied upon for specific medical advice.

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Before root canal treatment	6 months after root canal treatment