Features of a four-channel tooth
The additional canal is very narrow and is almost always hidden under a layer of dentin, so it is found under magnification and confirmed with an image. If missed, the infection will remain inside the tooth and periodontitis will develop within a few months or years. Treatment is the longest among endodontic interventions and is usually divided into two visits.
What is pulpitis
Pulpitis is inflammation of the pulp, that is, the neurovascular bundle inside the tooth. Most often it develops as a complication of deep caries, when bacteria reach the nerve, less often - after an injury or under an old leaky filling.
The main symptom is severe spontaneous pain, which intensifies at night and from hot temperatures. Unlike caries, pulpitis does not go away on its own: without treatment, inflammation spreads to the tissue around the root and turns into periodontitis.
Why the number of channels matters
The cost and duration of treatment depend primarily on the number of root canals. The front teeth usually have one canal, the premolars have one or two, the molars have three or four, sometimes more.
Each canal must be found, passed through its entire length, cleaned of infected tissue, expanded with instruments and hermetically sealed. Therefore, a four-canal tooth takes much longer to treat than a single-canal tooth.
How canal treatment works?
- anesthesia and isolation of the tooth from saliva
- opening the cavity and removing the inflamed pulp
- measuring the length of canals using an apex locator and from an image
- machining with machine and hand tools
- antiseptic treatment with solutions
- canal filling with gutta-percha and sealer
- control image and restoration of the coronal part
After treatment
A pulpless tooth becomes more fragile because it is deprived of nutrition from the inside. If more than half of the crown is destroyed, the doctor recommends covering such a tooth with an inlay or crown - this significantly extends its service life.