Archive for the ‘endodontology’ Category

What are the costs of a root canal?

Posted by Dental News Team On March - 24 - 2010

Our topic in the next weeks is root canal treatment and its risks! (5/10)

In the last report (4/10) you read that the majority of complications resulting from root treatment can be prevented by working carefully and allowing for adequate hygiene and planning in enough time.

Time is money – so good-quality root treatment of course costs more than any run-of-the-mill procedure.

However, taking the follow-up costs and problems into account (pain, sick leave, lying in bed sick) as a result of poorly performed root treatment, then calculating in another extra €1000 is still worth it! Depending on where you get the work done, dentists can charge from €100/root canal up to €1000/root canal. So the costs of treating a three-canal molar can range from €500-3000, about the cost of a dental implant!

So investing in good root treatment is definitely worth it, it ends up costing you less in the wrong run – and hurts less too!

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What happens during a root canal?

Posted by Dental News Team On March - 22 - 2010

Our topic in the next weeks is root canal treatment and its risks! (3/10)

The endodont consists of nerves, blood and lymph vessels. The aim of root treatment is to remove the dead endodont from inside the tooth, right up to the tip of the root! The inside of the tooth has to be as clean and free of germs as possible, as this is the only way to end the inflammation in the surrounding bone!
Although the tooth is a mineral, basically a kind of „rock“ and thus „lifeless“, the space which used to contain the endodont – the main channels are marked in blue and the side channels in green – runs right through the tooth. And these „chambers“ now contain dead tissue and provide bacteria with nutrients and the perfect hide-out from our immune system – as our immune cells caanot reach places where blood doesn’t go!

The point is to get these little channels or canals as clean as possible, so that no more bacteria can use them as a breeding ground. However, it is only possible to insert filling compound into the main canal. Clean, good-quality work prevents further bacteria from getting into the root canal system. A thorough rinse using various chemicals kills the germs in the little side-streets. And fillings up the main avenues gets rid of any bacteria that might be left, since they are cut off from their food supply – and your tooth is saved!

But it is only possible to perform good work using a coffer dam, sterile root canal instruments and magnifying glasses. Even a tiny little bit of saliva contains countless bacteria, and can contaminate the tooth if it gets into it.

This is why you always have to use a coffer dam, magnifying glass and sterile instruments when treating a root. Moreover, the main canal has to be consistently filled up right to the root. If even a little space is left, then there is a risk that some remaining bacteria can once again start to multiply and cause an inflammation in the bone. But x-rays or pictures can be used to check the quality of root treatment!

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Why is treatment performed on a root canal?

Posted by Dental News Team On March - 19 - 2010

Our topic in the next months is root canal treatment and its risks! (2/10)

Today we will talk about why it is necessary to perform treatment on a root canal:

  • The most common reason is a deep cavity.

Cavities are caused by bacteria, and once the bacteria have reached your dental nerve, you start to feel pain, and the dentist has to perform an operation on your root canal. As long as the cavity is still only in your enamel, the early stage of cavities (as shown by the blue arrow in the x-ray), then it can be treated without drilling. But once the cavity reaches the dentine, the dentist has to drill.

  • But the presence of cavities is not the only reason for treating a root canal. Physical damage, eg. caused by overheating during dental work, various chemicals used to make fillings, or paradontitis which has gone untreated for too long can also cause damage to the nerve, and then you also need treatment.

What is commonly called a “dental nerve“ is actually a network of blood vessels, lymph vessels, connective tissue and nerve tissue – a.k.a.the endodont.

Damage to the endodont causes an inflammation, which usually kills it. And just as meat begins to rot when it has been lying around on the kitchen table for too long, the endodont also begins to decay once it is dead.
If the dental nerve was killed by a cavity then you not only have the problem of decaying tissue, but also bacteria, which damage the surrounding bone.

This can be a painful process, or then again you may not feel a thing – the dentist refers to this as pulpitis followed by necrotic pulp.

If the endodont is destroyed it also damages the surrounding jaw bone – but this can be prevented by proper treatment!

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Our topic in the next weeks is root canal treatment, root tip resection and their risks! (1/10)

Complications arising from treament of a root canal are the main reason that patients need dental emergency services!
If treatment on a root canal is performed poorly, then years later the patient ends up needing a root tip resection. And faulty root tip resection, in turn, leads to a relapse, after which the tooth has to be extracted. You may even be unlucky enough to develop a reticular cyst!

Our topics are:

  • Why is treatment performed on a root canal?
  • What happens during a root canal?
  • Pain after a root canal – is that normal?
  • What are the costs of a root canal?
  • Can you renew or redo a root canal?
  • Risks of a root canal – cyst?
  • Risks of a root canal – root tip resection?
  • Quiz: good and bad root canals and root tip resections!
  • Quiz Score! – Congratulations, you are now a root canal expert!

By the end of the the next 4 weeks you will be able to rate your own root canal treatments – and we would be glad to help you – free of charge – simply send us your x-rays and pictures!

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Good dentist, bad dentist

Posted by Dental News Team On February - 22 - 2010

Wouldn’t you like to know whether your dentist is good or bad?

We assume you do, which is why this week we are going to tell you all about what to consider when looking for a dentist and how to find a good one.

As usual, we will provide you with an overview of this week’s main topic!

  1. Good dentist – the cost estimate
  2. Dentists and their teams
  3. Hygiene in the dentist’s office
  4. Explaining procedures
  5. Trouble-shooting

Good dentist – the cost estimate
First of all, does your dentist even bother giving you a cost estimate?
No? Then s/he has no idea what s/he is doing!

If yes, how is the estimate structures?
Did you get a thorough check-up before you got the estimate? You should know what has to be done in your case and what will only be performed to fill the dentist’s pockets. What are we going on about? Well, in order for the dentist to provide you with a good cost estimate, s/he needs to have a good idea of the current status of your teeth and mouth.

If s/he does not bother performing a check-up, then it is likely s/he will only do things that cost a lot, namely implants and crowns.

You can always tell good estimates from bad ones, because good estimates always provide detailed information, which is collected during a check-up (assuming, of course, that your mouth really needs an overhaul, not just one bridge or implant if your teeth and mouth are otherwise healthy, otherwise, what would be the point of collecting data!).

A good cost estimate includes:

  • An anamnesis (medical history) / Patient’s request
  • Findings
  • Diagnosis
  • Recommendations for therapy / Alternatives
  • Description of procedures as needed

This information lets the dentist know what you wish to be done, the condition of your teeth (periodontal status, photos, models of your teeth, …), anything and everything you’ll need to set up a treatment plan.

The cost estimate should consider all kinds of work, even work which is less lucrative to the dentist. This includes fillings, root canal treatment, operations such as removing wisdom teeth, etc.

But this is the kind of work which should usually be done first, before doing more complicated procedures – you should make sure the ground is in good shape before you start building houses on it (crowns, implants etc.).

Summing up, a simple cost estimate can and should tell you quite a lot!

  • If your dentist offers you any treatment without performing a thorough check-up first, then chances are that s/he is only going to do things which cost the most money!
  • If the cost estimate starts out with an extensive check-up, then you’re on the right path!
  • If a cost estimate begins with the least expensive types of treatment (renewed root treatment, removing wisdom teeth, periodontal work, …) with dentures (crowns, bridges) last on the list, then stick with that dentist!

More on this topic tomorrow, and by the end of the week you should be able to tell a good dentist from all others!

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