{"id":20,"date":"2024-06-02T18:38:31","date_gmt":"2024-06-02T18:38:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/?p=20"},"modified":"2025-11-24T15:46:32","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T15:46:32","slug":"rct-treatment-for-damaged-and-infected-teeth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/rct-treatment-for-damaged-and-infected-teeth\/","title":{"rendered":"Root canal treatment (RCT) Endodontic Treatment for damaged or infected teeth"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-box-title\">Article Table<\/div>\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/rct-treatment-for-damaged-and-infected-teeth\/#RCT_success_and_failures_and_retreatments\" >RCT success and failures and retreatments<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/rct-treatment-for-damaged-and-infected-teeth\/#What_is_RCT\" >What is RCT?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/rct-treatment-for-damaged-and-infected-teeth\/#Steps_of_root_canal_treatment\" >Steps of root canal treatment:<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/rct-treatment-for-damaged-and-infected-teeth\/#When_do_you_need_a_root_canal_treatment\" >When do you need a root canal treatment?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/rct-treatment-for-damaged-and-infected-teeth\/#How_successful_are_root_canal_treatments\" >How successful are root canal treatments?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/rct-treatment-for-damaged-and-infected-teeth\/#When_do_we_need_root_canal_retreatment\" >When do we need root canal retreatment?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"RCT_success_and_failures_and_retreatments\"><\/span>RCT success and failures and retreatments<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>A root canal treatment (RCT) is a common endodontic treatment for damaged or infected teeth.\u00a0 An endodontist or a dentist performs RCT to treat tooth pulp infections, inflammations, or decayed teeth.<\/p>\n<p>RCT treatment eliminates the infection and prevents reinfections of the teeth. RCTs are typically painless procedures and preserve your original tooth.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_RCT\"><\/span>What is RCT?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>RCT is a dental procedure that treats the soft tissue mass called the pulp within the teeth.The tooth pulp is the hollow, innermost layer of the tooth consisting of blood vessels, connective tissues, and nerve tissues. RCT removes the damaged or injured pulp and keeps the affected tooth intact.<\/p>\n<p>Modern root canal treatments are simple and may be completed with minimal sittings. The procedure is done under local anesthesia.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Steps_of_root_canal_treatment\"><\/span>Steps of root canal treatment:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>During consultation, the dentist assesses the extent of damage and confirms whether you are a good candidate for an RCT procedure.<\/p>\n<p>The dentist will:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Take dental X-rays<\/li>\n<li>Check tooth sensitivity and pain<\/li>\n<li>Perform EPT (electric pulp test)<\/li>\n<li>Look for other signs of infection or inflammation in the tooth or gums<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>RCT procedure steps include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The dentist injects local anesthesia to numb the affected tooth and the gum<\/li>\n<li>A small hole is drilled into the infected tooth\u2019s crown to gain access to the pulp<\/li>\n<li>The infected nerves and blood vessels are removed using dental instruments<\/li>\n<li>The dentist cleans the hollow area with irrigation solutions and fills it with a rubbery material called \u201cgutta-percha.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>A soft temporary filling or sealant is applied to protect the tooth<\/li>\n<li>Finally, the dental crown is placed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_do_you_need_a_root_canal_treatment\"><\/span>When do you need a root canal treatment?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A root canal treatment is recommended if the pulp is infected or damaged due to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Long-term tooth decay caused by untreated cavity<\/li>\n<li>Crack on the tooth<\/li>\n<li>Injury or trauma to the tooth<\/li>\n<li>If you had several dental procedures<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_successful_are_root_canal_treatments\"><\/span>How successful are root canal treatments?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Normally, root canal treatments have high success rates around 95%, making it one of the best treatments to preserve the natural tooth.<\/p>\n<p><em>Can RCTs last a lifetime?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A root canal treatment if done properly can last more than a decade and even a lifetime. However, the success rate and longevity of the RCT treatmentis influenced by several factors:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Whether the treatment was done correctly<\/li>\n<li>Age of the patient<\/li>\n<li>Restoration quality<\/li>\n<li>Location of infected tooth<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_do_we_need_root_canal_retreatment\"><\/span>When do we need root canal retreatment?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A failure in root canal treatment may require a re-treatment.<\/p>\n<p>Symptoms of root canal failure include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Gum inflammation around the infected tooth<\/li>\n<li>Increased sensitivity<\/li>\n<li>Prolonged pain after the initial RCT<\/li>\n<li>Pus discharge<\/li>\n<li>Appearance of bumps in the gum<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>RCT is mostly successful. Sometimes, the treated tooth does not heal properly or may develop complications after years of initial RCT.<\/p>\n<p>Root canal complications occur due to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tooth contamination during RCT can lead to post-proceduralinfections<\/li>\n<li>Wrong placement of the crown<\/li>\n<li>Delay in the placement of the final crown which increases the risks of infections<\/li>\n<li>Inadequate treatment where some parts of the tooth canals were not cleaned properly<\/li>\n<li>Growth of additional roots or hidden tooth roots that were not removed during the procedure<\/li>\n<li>Hairline cracks in the tooth which can lead to bacteria formation<\/li>\n<li>Root perforation where a root was accidentally punctured or damaged and was left unsealed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Root canal retreatment can be done in a single consultation. It depends on the complications. During the treatment, the crown and other fillings are removed. Dental instruments are used to clean and re-shape the canal. Dental X-rays are taken to diagnose the complications.<\/p>\n<p>The canal is then filled and sealed and a temporary crown is placed. After some time, a new permanent crown is then placed to cover the tooth.<br \/>\nRoot canal Treattment covered under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/Advanced-Endodontics-course-India.php\">endodontics course<\/a> where dentsts learn advanced RCT. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/\">AADEINDIA Dental academy <\/a>advance in RCT and related to endodontics procedures<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Final thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A root canal is an effective treatment for restoring a single damaged tooth and the procedure allows you to keep the natural tooth. It is an alternative solution for extraction which is more complicated, uncomfortable, and removes your natural tooth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>RCT success and failures and retreatments \u00a0A root canal treatment (RCT) is a common endodontic treatment for damaged or infected teeth.\u00a0 An endodontist or a dentist performs RCT to treat&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[5,4],"class_list":["post-20","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-endodontics-course","tag-rct","tag-root-canal-treatment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":162,"href":"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20\/revisions\/162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aadeindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}