There is no evidence in history ascertaining when root canal therapy came into existence. History traces the first appearances of root canal therapy all the way to the second of third century B.C. Somewhere in a desert in Israel, archaeologists came upon a human skull and discovered a bronze wire in one of the teeth, which scientists believe was among the earliest treatments of an infected canal.
The wire was placed right at the point of the infection, which, according to modern time’s root canal therapy, would be the exact site of treatment. According to the archaeologists who discovered the skull and the other remains, the Romans had most likely conducted that first root canal procedure. This belief can also be supported by the fact that the Romans were the ones who first invented crowns and dentures.
Further Advancements in AD
According to historical evidence, root canals treatment from the first century A.D until the 1600s featured a process of draining the pulp chambers in order to provide relief from the pain. It was then secured with a protective coating made with asbestos or gold foil.
It was during the year 1838 when the very first official instrument for root canal treatment was invented. The instrument was designed with the intention of making reaching the pulp, located inside the root of the tooth, an easy process. From there, further advancements continued to take place and many types of root canal treatments have continued to surface. In 1847, ‘gutta-percha’, another safer instrument, was invented. This instrument was made for filling purposes once the root canal was cleared and cleaned free of the infection. Endodontists to date make use of these first instruments in root canal therapy. They refer to these instruments as files now and manually operate them through the entire process when treating a root canal. The instruments are first used for opening the path to the canal and then secondly for supporting the cleaning and shaping of the root canal.
Once the cleaning and disinfecting process has been completed, the filling is done to prevent any reoccurrence of infection.
Endodontic Treatment
Endodontic treatment is the formal name for addressing a root canal problem. The word ‘Endodontic’ was made by combining two Greek words, “tooth” and “inside.” After the bronze wire that was discovered in a human skull in the Israeli Desert of Negev, as mentioned above, the infected pulp draining process was adopted a few hundred years later as a means of providing relief from pain. History also tells that the treatment was followed right up to 16th Century.
The Technology of the 20th Century
Throughout the 20th century, we saw a plethora of advancements in technology. We also experienced the institution of x-rays and anesthetics in the dental process. This made it much safer and easier to treat infected root canals and offer rapid relief. We also owe greatly to these technological advancements as they made it possible to consider other alternatives apart from pulling the teeth out. The advancements have reached such amazing levels that the therapy for root canals is now almost a pain-free procedure.
Endodontist
These specialists perform miracles to save our teeth. Each Endodontist acquires additional training of two years and applies advanced techniques to provide the highest levels of care to their patients.
Root Canal
Root canals are a part of our teeth. They are the substance of the innermost portions of our teeth. The innermost portion is hollow and houses pulp. There is soft tissue around this area, where blood vessels and nerves run. These nourish the teeth and keep them well and alive. If this part of our teeth somehow becomes infected, we require root canal therapy. In this treatment, the endodontist eliminates the pulp that has become diseased and then cleans and seals our root canal. We typically experience infections when bacteria have invaded our teeth. It often happens through an existing cavity but can also occur as a result of cracks, repeated dental therapies and procedures, and as a result of trauma.
Root Canal Re-treatment
Sometimes there is the possibility that a tooth has undergone root canal therapy has failed to heal and continues to experience persistent pain. This can occur for months and even years in some cases following the treatment. In the presence of such a situation, an endodontist has to run retreatment for the root canal.
According to medical science, the reasons for a failure to heal include undetected canals, complex anatomy, and similar issues during the initial treatment. However, there could be a number of other reasons too, such as not placing a restoration/crown immediately after the completion of the root canal treatment, or when a new decay gives exposes the root canal filling to saliva. This also ends in infection or contamination. Retreatment includes the re-cleaning and re-sealing of the root canal system.
You can get the best endodontic treatment here. Young Bui, DDS uses the most advanced and reliable technology and ensure rapid healing and recovery for all your root canal problems.