Cabinet Dentaire du Bourg
Cabinet Dentaire du Bourg · Savigny-le-Temple

Root canal treatment (endodontics)

Root canal treatment, retreatment and Biodentine to keep the tooth alive: endodontics at Cabinet Dentaire du Bourg, Savigny-le-Temple.

Endodontics treats the inside of the tooth: the pulp, often called the nerve, and the root canals. The aim is to save your tooth, even when the pulp is affected.

When is it needed?

When the pulp is irreversibly inflamed (spontaneous pain, pain that wakes you at night, lasting sensitivity to heat), when it is necrotic, in case of an abscess, or after a blow to the tooth.

Root canal treatment

Under local anaesthetic, the pulp is removed completely. The canals are cleaned, disinfected and shaped, then sealed. An X-ray checks the result. Treatment takes one or two appointments depending on the case.

DecayNecrotic pulpInfectionGumToothBone
DecayNecrotic pulp
1/4Decay has reached the pulp: it has become necrotic and the infection spreads to the root tipsTop view: decay has opened the pulp chamber
File
Canal openings
2/4Under anaesthetic, the pulp is removed completely, then the canals are cleaned and shapedThe tooth is opened: a lower first molar has two mesial canals and one distal
Filling
Filling
3/4The canals are sealed; an X-ray checks the resultEach canal is filled
Restored toothFilledcanals
Restored tooth
4/4The tooth is then restored: filling, onlay or crown depending on how much of it is leftThe opening is closed: the tooth is restored

After treatment

Some discomfort when chewing for a few days is normal. A root-treated tooth is more fragile: it must then be restored with a filling, an onlay or a crown, depending on how much is left.

Retreatment

If a root-treated tooth becomes infected again, the treatment can often be redone: this is called endodontic retreatment.

A living tooth is always better

Whenever possible, root canal treatment is avoided: with deep decay and a pulp that is still healthy, Biodentine can keep the tooth alive (see the guide on tooth decay).

Aftercare following root canal treatment (in French) →

Sources: HAS, root canal treatment · European Society of Endodontology (ESE), deep caries and the exposed pulp, 2019

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