Dental Questions: Why do teeth need root canals?

When most patients think of endodontics (root canal procedures), they usually assume it is being provided to treat an infection.  While the most common reason for a tooth to need a root canal is infection, there are a whole host of procedures and conditions that benefit from endodontic therapy. Take a look at this list of typical reasons that teeth need root canals!

Infection- Indeed, the most common reason most patients need root canals is from bacteria growing around the roots of the teeth. In the classic model of tooth infection, tooth decay spreads to the dental pulp, causing the tissue to become necrotic. This dying tissue becomes a food source for the bacteria, allowing them to flourish. A root canal treats these infections by removing the remaining tooth pulp, sterilizing the interior of the tooth and cutting off the bacterial food supply. 

Fractured Teeth- Fractured teeth are often impossible to see and difficult to diagnose. Many times it takes the imaging technology found at an endodontist's office to reveal the location and extent of the crack. Most fractured teeth are impossible to restore and require extraction. However, some smaller cracks can be rectified through a combination of a root canal and crown. 

Post Placement- If the top of a tooth is broken off at or near the gum line, placing a crown on the remaining structure is impossible. In certain occasions, a root canal procedure can be performed along with a post placement to save the tooth. A dental post is a metal or composite rod that extends from the root of the tooth to above the gum line, creating a new substructure for a crown to be fashioned. 

Trauma- Many times, dental trauma will cause the internal tooth pulp to recede or become necrotic. A clear sign of this is a tooth becoming darker or red-toned following injury. In order to preserve the tooth and minimize risk of infection, a root canal is often performed. After the root canal is finished, internal bleaching can be used to lighten the tooth back to a natural tone. 

We hope you found this article helpful! If you have any more questions about root canals, dental trauma or dental crowns, please give our office a call!

Cone Beam CT Technology

Here is a series of images assembled using CBCT technology. They are being used to visualize a tooth treated with a root canal. 

Dental X-rays are very useful in diagnosing a number of conditions. Decay, abscesses and bone structure can easily be seen using standard technology found at any dental office. However, X-rays are inherently limited: they can only show you a two dimensional image of a three dimensional object. In many instances, X-rays can visualize part of a problem, but leave out "the whole picture." How deep is that crack? Which tooth is draining to that abscess? Are there one or two canals in that root? For these questions, many dentists and specialists use Cone Beam CT technology. 

Cone Beam CT (CBCT) is based on a principle called Computerized Tomography. Here, a series of low-radiation exposures are used to take "slices" that can assemble to a 3D image. Imagine looking at a apple, cut widthwise many times. If you saw each slice consecutively, you could easily surmise the 3D shape of the original apple. This is the same idea behind CBCT- many individual images are used to create a 3D representation of hard tissue. While a traditional X-ray might miss small problems (like a cracked root) or misrepresent sizes or shapes (like superimposing two root canals as one), a CBCT excels at giving us a more complete picture.

Many of the specialist we refer to utilize CBCT technology. For example, Doctors Bollinger, Cobin and Stoop at Conejo Simi Endontics use it to diagnose cracks, visualize root canals and determine the prognosis of treated teeth. CBCT is particularly useful for endodontics, as many problems are difficult or impossible to locate, even with high powered microscopes. Likewise, Dr. Wilgus at Camarillo Periodontics uses his CBCT machine to plan implant placement. Being able to see the height and width of bone along with any associated structures adds extra predictability to his surgeries. 

It's easy to see how CBCT technology has made diagnosing dental conditions easier and more reliable. When we make referrals to our specialist network, we have these capabilities in mind- that these doctors have the technology to visualize problems that normal X-rays can't. If you would like to know more about Cone Beam technology and how it is used in dentistry, just give us a call!