Of course it does. After the poison is applied, you should see a doctor within the specified time, which is usually 14 days. You cannot walk around with the poison for longer. If you do not see a doctor, the mortifying agent may spread beyond the tooth and destroy other structures. Another possible scenario is the loss of tightness of the dressing and re-infection of the tooth. This may be asymptomatic, and may even result in a large abscess. The constantly developing technology in dentistry allows for a significant reduction in the time of root canal treatment, and this treatment is often performed in one visit, so it does not require a large expenditure of time on the part of the patient.

A tooth that has been completely root canal treated and is dead should not be felt. If this is the case, you should check whether the filling in the tooth is not too high (this leads to overloading the tooth and, as a result, to its feeling and pain). A small correction of the filling is enough to make the discomfort go away. It is also very important that the channels are filled using modern materials and equipment. A dead tooth can also hurt immediately after treatment – the pain is then a result of irritation of the periapical tissues. In such a case, the discomfort goes away on its own after a few days. Very often, the cause of the feeling of a dead tooth is an incompletely filled one of the tooth’s channels, an additional channel or an unusually split channel. An X-ray of the tooth can help determine the cause of the discomfort. Unfortunately, not everything is always visible on it (it shows the tooth only in two dimensions, and the channels can overlap). If the image obtained is unclear, the doctor reopens the tooth and checks its channels. He can also use a special microscope that allows for the detection of an additional channel, invisible on the X-ray.

Endodontic (root canal) treatment under a microscope is much more precise than traditional treatment. When the canal is straight and treated for the first time, standard treatment is sufficient and gives very good results. On the other hand, a microscope can be very helpful when we are dealing with a blocked, bent or treated canal for the second time (because, for example, the first treatment was ineffective). Thanks to the microscope, the doctor can see much more. This device magnifies up to 24 times, and the treatment area is also better illuminated. All this reduces the risk of failure. In addition, there are often additional canals in the tooth that can only be seen under a microscope. In turn, thorough processing (cleaning) of the canals allows them to be filled well. A properly root canal-treated tooth does not cause pain, is not a source of infection, and usually does not discolour. Unfortunately, treatment under a microscope is more expensive than standard root canal treatment.

Until recently, root canal treatment caused many problems. Today, thanks to modern methods and equipment, it is no longer so unpleasant, especially since it is performed under anaesthesia. Before the procedure, an X-ray is taken to assess the condition of the roots and their surroundings. Then, using a so-called endometer, the length of the canal is measured, thanks to which it can be precisely cleaned. This is done manually (using needles) or with a special mechanical device. Curved canals can be cleaned using flexible tools with a so-called memory. Then they are disinfected and filled. After the procedure, an X-ray is taken to check whether the canals have been filled correctly. Such control is very important, because a canal filled too shallowly creates the risk that the inflammation will return.

Curettage can prevent the progression of periodontal disease. The procedure involves removing dental deposits from the root surface, smoothing it (like during scaling) and removing diseased gum from the pocket. There are two types of curettage: open and closed. The first involves cutting the gum and moving it away from the bone and root. Thanks to this, the dentist can see the root precisely, which makes it easier to remove deposits and diseased tissue. Closed curettage is performed without cutting, thanks to which the gum heals faster after the procedure. However, there is no certainty that the root has been properly cleaned. Both procedures are performed under local anesthesia.