Endodontic

Endodontic is a branch of dentistry that deals with the study and treatment of the dental pulp. The term comes from the Greek words "endo" meaning inside and "odont" meaning tooth. Endodontic treatment, also known as a root canal, is a treatment sequence for the infected pulp of a tooth which results in the elimination of infection and the protection of the decontaminated tooth from future microbial invasion.

History

The practice of endodontics has been traced back to the second or third century B.C., where a human skull was found in the desert of Israel with a bronze wire embedded in the tooth's root, suggesting an early form of root canal therapy.

Procedures

Endodontic procedures include, but are not limited to, root canal therapy, endodontic retreatment, surgery, treating cracked teeth, and treating dental trauma. Root canal therapy is one of the most common procedures. If the dental pulp (containing nerves, arterioles, venules, lymphatic tissue, and fibrous tissue) becomes diseased or injured, endodontic treatment is required to save the tooth.

Endodontic Diagnosis

Diagnosis in endodontics is complex and involves a thorough history taking, examination, testing and radiographs. The diagnosis is used to identify the etiology, or cause, of the patient's pain or problem, and to determine the most appropriate treatment.

Endodontic Treatment

Endodontic treatment, or root canal treatment, involves the removal of the diseased pulp, along with the tooth's nerve (located within the root canal), the cleaning, shaping and decontamination of the hollows with small files and irrigating solutions, and the obturation (filling) of the decontaminated canals with an inert filling such as gutta-percha.

Endodontic Retreatment

Endodontic retreatment is performed when a tooth that has previously undergone root canal treatment becomes infected at the root tip. The old root canal filling material is removed, the root canal is cleaned, reshaped and refilled.

Endodontic Surgery

Endodontic surgery can be used to locate fractures or hidden canals that do not appear on x-rays but still manifest pain in the tooth. Damaged root surfaces or the surrounding bone may also be treated with this procedure.

Cracked Teeth

Cracked teeth present special challenges for endodontic treatment. They require special tests for diagnosis and may require endodontic treatment, or even extraction, depending on the severity of the crack.

Dental Trauma

Dental trauma refers to injury to the teeth and/or periodontium (gums, periodontal ligament, alveolar bone). These injuries can result in damage to the pulp or even the root of the tooth.

See Also

• Dentistry
• Root Canal
• Dental Pulp
• Dental Trauma

Endodontic Resources
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