Pulp Capping

Kuafaj

What is pulp capping?

It is a form of treatment performed by applying a type of filling that treats the sensitivity caused in the tooth by cold, hot, sour and sweet stimuli. Pulp capping is applied as a preliminary treatment before the decay reaches the pulp tissue, that is, in cavities that do not require root canal treatment. It is placed at the point closest to the dental nerves and covered with a filling. If the tooth is well cared for, root canal treatment can be delayed for 3–5 years.

What is the purpose of pulp capping treatment?

It is performed to relieve pain and prevent the decay from growing. To preserve the vitality of the tooth, the dentist decides whether pulp capping can be performed after seeing the dental X-ray. If the pain does not go away after the pulp capping filling, root canal treatment should be started.

Dental Fillings

Diş Dolgusu

What is a dental filling?

Filling the cavity formed after the decay of a decayed tooth has been cleaned, or the tissue loss caused by various reasons such as fractures, with a material that suits the tooth’s own form, is called a filling. It is the process of restoring the natural function and appearance of a tooth that has lost tooth structure. A dental filling must be done to prevent bacteria from entering the cavities in the tooth and to stop the decay from progressing.

How is a dental filling done?

  • A dental X-ray is taken and the area to be filled is identified.
  • The inside and surroundings of the tooth are cleaned with dental instruments.
  • The filling material to be applied to the patient is selected.
  • The filling material is placed in the cleaned area and shaped to match the shape of the tooth.
  • The dentist either hardens the filling material placed in the tooth, or the material hardens over time.
  • After the filling procedure, the dentist gives the filling its final shape by trimming and thinning it according to how it feels to the patient.

The filling procedure is generally done as above and completed in a single session, but sometimes the time and number of sessions may differ for filling procedures carried out together with a laboratory.

Dental filling materials

Cavities formed by fractures, decay or loss of tooth structure need to be filled with materials suitable for the tooth. If a filling is not done after a cavity has formed, the tooth may decay or the existing decay may grow, which can lead to both toothache and involvement of the pulp. For this reason, cavities formed in the tooth for any reason are filled by the dentist. There are different dental filling materials used today.

  • Composite filling: The filling material most frequently used by dentists. It is preferred because it is aesthetically compatible with the tooth tissues. Composite fillings are not really recommended for filling large cavities because their brittle structure is not durable. They are applied especially to the front and visible parts of the teeth.
  • Inlay – onlay filling: They can be made of metal, ceramic or composite. After the decayed part of the tooth is cleaned, an impression or scan of the patient’s mouth is taken so that the filling can be made in a laboratory environment.
  • Porcelain filling: A filling material that matches the teeth nicely in aesthetic terms. It is prepared from porcelain in a laboratory environment. Its cost is close to that of gold fillings. Its appearance is very close to that of a natural tooth. It is prepared in the laboratory and applied in the patient’s mouth.
  • Amalgam filling: Commonly called a metal filling or silver filling. Its content consists of silver, copper, tin and mercury. Although it is not much preferred by patients because of its appearance, it can be used on the back teeth. Although it is quite strong and long-lasting, especially during placement and removal sessions it can release quite a lot of mercury and cause it to mix into the blood. However, the amount of mercury released by an existing amalgam filling that was placed previously is negligible.
  • Gold filling: Although it is the strongest and longest-lasting filling material, it is also the most expensive filling material because it contains gold. It is also the most demanding filling material for the dentist. The cavity to be filled is prepared and an impression or scan is taken, and the filling is prepared together with laboratory procedures; since a laboratory is involved, it is not completed in a single session. It is not much preferred today.

How long does a dental filling last?

The durability of the filling material applied to the tooth is mostly related to how well the patient cares for their teeth. Habits such as very hot and very cold foods and drinks, not brushing the teeth twice a day, the use of tobacco and its derivatives, the consumption of acidic drinks such as alcohol and fizzy drinks, nail biting and teeth clenching determine how long a dental filling can last.

Dental filling price

The price of a dental filling varies depending on the tooth to be treated, the amount of tooth structure lost and the type of filling material chosen. By law, we cannot give prices on our website. Please contact us for information.

Root Canal Treatment

Kanal Tedavisi

What is root canal treatment?

The word “canal” in the concept of root canal treatment refers to the natural cavity inside the tooth where the dental pulp is located. Teeth can continue to function even without nerves. However, the pain caused before root canal treatment by decay that has reached the nerves comes precisely from the nerves in this pulp and the damage to them. In this context, root canal treatment is a treatment method that aims to remove the damaged pulp tissue together with the decayed tissue and to eliminate the factor that has caused, or may cause, pain and inflammation.

Root canal treatment is a treatment method based on the logic of reaching the natural cavity of the tooth and cleaning it. First, any decay in the tooth is cleaned; then this cavity in the tooth is reached and the nerves in the tooth are removed. After the inside of the tooth has been cleaned of microorganisms as much as possible, it is sealed and protected. At this point, the main reason why the pulp is also removed together with the decayed tissue is to take precautions against other harmful bacteria that may form and to eliminate the environment that could host these bacteria. In this way, the tooth is prevented from becoming infected and inflamed. Pulp tissue left inside the tooth may cause inflammation again inside the cavity in the future, leading to swelling of the tooth, which may even cause bone loss.

What is tooth decay?

It is a disease in which the hard tissues of the tooth are damaged by the acid produced by bacteria. Tooth decay is a common problem that children, adolescents and adults can all face when there are oral and dental health problems. Decay, which has a wide scope that can also affect the tooth root, forms as a result of the deterioration and wear of the enamel on the outer layer of the teeth. As the enamel wears away, the teeth start to become damaged and decay. As we all know, one of the most common causes of tooth decay is the consumption of sugary foods and drinks. When we consume sugary foods, plaque made up of harmful bacteria starts to form on the teeth. The bacteria produce acids that eat away at the tooth enamel little by little. These acids cause the dentine beneath the enamel to be exposed and make the tooth very vulnerable. The result is the dental problem we call tooth decay.

Tooth decay in its early stages can in some cases be repaired by certain minerals in saliva or by the fluoride in toothpaste. However, if the consumption of sugary foods and drinks continues constantly, tooth decay quickly moves beyond this easily treatable stage and reaches a level that requires more extensive medical treatment.

  • If there is decay in your tooth that has reached the pulp chamber,
  • If the tissues in the pulp chamber have started to be damaged,
  • If the pulp chamber is covered with harmful bacteria,
  • If there is excessive sensitivity in your tooth when you chew, bite, come into contact with hot and cold foods, or even for no reason at all, and this does not go away when the cause is removed,

it means that your tooth has started to decay and you need root canal treatment.

How is root canal treatment performed?

Root canal treatment consists of a systematic and constructive treatment process. In the first stage of treatment, the problem area is identified and, where necessary, a dental X-ray is taken to assess the situation. After it is determined that the tooth needs root canal treatment, local anaesthesia is applied to numb the area where the tooth is located. The anaesthetic takes effect within 10 to 25 minutes.

When the anaesthetic has taken effect, the decay in the tooth is cleaned and a cavity is opened to reach the canal so that the inside of the tooth can be accessed. Through this, the pulp tissue, that is, the damaged nerve tissue, and the bacteria along with it are removed. After the removal is complete, the canal of the tooth is rinsed with various irrigation solutions. Once cleaning is finished, root canal treatment continues with the filling process. After the root canal has been filled, the opened cavity is filled using special dental filling material, and the treatment is thus completed. In some special cases, the dentist may consider it more appropriate to do the filling in the next session, but in most cases the permanent filling is applied in the first session, and root canal treatment is thus completed in a single visit to the dentist.

How long does root canal treatment take?

The duration of root canal treatment varies from patient to patient; in some cases, the spread of infection prevents the treatment from being completed in one session. However, in most cases, if the tooth is vital, it is possible to complete the treatment in a single session. It is worth noting that when choosing a dentist for root canal treatment, researching thoroughly, getting recommendations and references and choosing an experienced dentist will make your treatment process much easier and trouble-free.

Root canal treatment price

Root canal treatment prices offered by each clinic and each doctor may differ from one another. The experience, area of expertise and level of experience in root canal treatment of the dentist you choose are among the most important factors affecting root canal treatment prices. In addition, the type of materials and technological facilities used in treatment, the special conditions of your tooth and the treatment methods that can change according to these conditions can also cause prices to vary. Before having your treatment, when choosing a root canal treatment examination, you should research the dentists’ backgrounds and make your choice. By law, we cannot give price information on our website, but we are just a phone call away.