Dentalnews (en)

Inserting implants without cutting open the mucous membrane  – does that work?
Well, if there is enough stable gum tissue (gingiva fixa) around the implant to hold it in place! But this kind of minimally invasive implantation cannot always be performed!

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Nowadays we know that if implants/teeth are surrounded by enough gingiva fixa, then less plaque builds up there.
Teeth or implants held by more loose gum tissue are more prone to developing periodontitis, gingivitis and/or cavities.
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So if there is very little stable gum tissue, then it is not good to use a puncher, as it removes what little gum tissue is left!
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But if the implant is to heal underneath the mucuous membrane, then it is not necessary to make cuts for this type of operation!

Small filling – big filling – root treatment – root tip resection – removing a tooth

Does this process look familiar to you?

Whether it does or not, we would like to explain why this happens. It may help some of you to avoid this, while others will at least realize that there is no such thing as bad teeth!

1. People rarely ever have bad teeth and if this is genetic, all of a person’s teeth are affected!

Why do you mostly have fillings in your side teeth? Find out here!

2. Good, now we know that your “bad teeth” are at least partly your own “fault”! Unfortunately, dentists only rarely inform their patients about why things like this happen, they usually just keep drilling, while your fillings keep getting bigger and bigger, until one fine day you need a root canal treatment.

The right way to perfom root treatment is … here we have a video for you, but be sure to come back after your trip to dental land!

3. Hopefully your root treatment was not performed the wrong way, without a coffer dam, enlargement and sterile instruments.

Now, your root canal may contain a bunch of bacteria from saliva, or unsterile instruments used during treatment. These bacteria continue to multiply unchecked. Your immune system does manage to get rid of some of them, but not all, and years later you develop a bone infection at the tip of your root, caused by the bacteria in your root canal.

4. This usually calls for a root tip resection – depicted here!

Without cleaning the canal (orthograde WSR), or sealing the canal from behind (retrograde WSR)this area can again start to cause problems, making it necessary to remove the tooth completely!

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Imagine all the trouble you could have saved yourself if you had already known this – Dentalnews.en readers always have something to smile about!

Our topic in the next weeks is root canal treatment and its risks! (9/10)

In the last few reports you read about root treatment, root tip resection and the attendant risks.

Introduction to root canal treatment
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?
Today we would like to show you a few x-rays, which are all numbered, and in the next report you will find out how to tell good root treatments from bad

We are positive that after this series of reports, you will even be able to tell whether your root canal was treated properly or not, based on x-rays.

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And you have a right to do so!

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Our topic in the next weeks is root canal treatment and its risks! (7/10)

Not doing clean work during root treatment (no coffer dam, unsterile instruments,….) means bacteria can still get into the inside of the tooth via the dentist! This pictures shows several teeth whose roots have been treated, the green arrows marking areas where bone is inflamed – and the patient hardly even noticed anything, aside from having a “stuffy” nose. The bacteria kept multiplying until they reached a critical mass. Now they have started to invade the bone via the side canals of the tooth and are causing an inflammation – known as osteomyelitis. This process can take days, months, years or even decades, depending on the amount and type of bacteria, the structure of the root canal, instruments and materials used, etc.
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Only when a tooth is sealed off tightly can these problems be avoided! Well-sealed means that the filling compound is spread evenly right up to the tip of the root. Moreover, once root treatment has been completed, it is also a good idea to seal off the top of the tooth, e.g. using a ceramic inlay and/or a crown. A tooth which is properly treated can last a lifetime, and you can save yourself a lot of pain and lost time, and avoid getting implants or bridges!
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Poor root treatment can lead to

• a reticular cyst

• alveolitis

• chronic apical periodontitis

A reticular cyst is one common complication arising from badly performed root treatment. Inflammation of the bone stimulates the growth of residual tissue – and this eventually turns into a cyst.

Pain after a root canal – is that normal?

Our topic in the next weeks is root canal treatment and its risks! (4/10)
Even if root treatment is performed properly, you may still feel some pain.

The pain usually goes down after about three days, and you usually don’t even need pain medication. The pain is caused by a slight irritation of the bone around the tip of the root. Should the pain get worse and/or you need medication, then something might have gone wrong during treatment.
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Some possible complications arising from root treatment are:

• incomplete filling of all canals, usually due to not using a magnifying glas
• incomplete filling of root canal, due to time limits or imprecise workcontamination of the root canal
• system by additional bacteria, usually due to not using a coffer dam and/or using unsterile instruments
• parts of an instrument breaking off inside a canal, which happens if instruments are not stored properly or simply used one too many times