ROOT CANAL TREATMENT What is "root" and what is "root canal"? Our natural teeth have crowns and roots.Crowns are what we see in our mouths.The roots lie beneath the gums, in the bone, anchoring the crowns to the bone. A narrow canal inside the root contains the vital structures of the tooth, namely the ‘pulp’. This canal inside the root is the Root Canal. Is root canal Tx. painful? No, since the work is done under local anaesthesia, it is not painful at all. What happens after root canal Tx.? After the root canal filling, the decay on the crown is restored with a filling or an artificial crown depending on the extend of decay or damage to the natural crown. Are all areas of the tooth equally prone to caries? Theoretically, yes but practically, most of the decay start in the fissures or groves on the chewing surfaces of back teeth since these fissures retain more food particles. What is "fissure sealing?" Since most of the decay start in the fissures on the back teeth, it is a good idea to "seal" these fissures immediately after the back teeth erupt. The dentist cleans the fissure and seals it with a special material so that they do not retain food particles. The fissures are not overfilled and sealing does not cause any disruption to normal chewing. Silver fillings vs. White fillings. Since silver fillings contain mercury, other materials are gaining use and popularity for the past twenty years.One of these is Composite Resins, which can be "bonded" to teeth, thereby making complex build-ups possible. Composites are teeth coloured, and can be used for a variety of purposes like repairing broken teeth, reshaping teeth, closing the gaps between teeth etc.to name a few.

CAVITIES/FILLINGS/MATERIALS What is root canal treatment/filling? Tooth decay or caries usually starts on the crown and the filling or restoration is limited to the crown if the decay has not reached the pulp. Once the decay ( and bacteria ) get into the pulp, the root canal has to be cleaned , disinfected and filled. This is the Root Canal Filling. How many sittings are needed? This may require one or many sittings depending on whether the infection is limited to the root canal or if it has spread into the bone, beyond the root canal. How do cavities start on teeth? Cavities (decay, Dental caries) start mainly as a result of bacterial action on the food particles that stick to teeth. Certain type of bacteriae break down these food particles, producing acidic substances, which erode the enamel of the teeth and roughen it. The enamel is made up of calcium compounds mostly) More food particles stick to these roughened areas which get colonized by the bacteriae, eroding the enamel and then the second layer, dentine. How can cavities be prevented? The important steps towards preventing cavities are 1.Mechanical cleaning with tooth brush, after every meal 2.Getting the fissures sealed with a fissure sealant after the back teeth erupt 3.Regular check-ups by the dentist. What are the materials used for filling teeth? Silver amalgam (a mixture of mainly silver and mercury), composite resins, Glass ionomers etc are some of the main materials used for restoring decayed teeth.Metals and ceramic, prepared to the exact dimensions of the cavity also are used.