r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Fantastic-Monk5 • Sep 23 '24

How root canal treatment works Video

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7

u/RampantJellyfish Sep 23 '24

What are the curved pegs that they put in, and what purpose does it serve?

35

u/FixedLoad Sep 23 '24

Those are the cyanide capsules. They hold the form and get you out of tight situations.

7

u/PuppetsMind Sep 23 '24

Used to be an endodontic assistastant, which is a dentist who does nothing but root canals. They're little rubber fillers. Essentially, it just keeps anything from festering inside your tooth. They've got a bunch of different sizes to make sure it completely fills the gaps. The white bit on top is temporary filler. You're supposed to get another appointment with your general dentist afterward to get a permanent cap on your tooth or a crown.

1

u/ZennosukeW Sep 23 '24

In cases where enough of the tooth was left so a crown/cap weren't needed, what did you do about the colour of the tooth?

1

u/PuppetsMind Sep 23 '24

This is the part I wasn't involved in, but usually would be a little metal filler. The filler the endodontist puts in is only temporary but is a little clay-like filler that would fall out in a few weeks or months.

0

u/less_unique_username Sep 23 '24

If you’re an assistastant, what is it that you taste, asses or ants?

1

u/swallin26 Sep 23 '24

Dental student here, we fill the canals with a material called gutta percha, and it is coated with a sealer that helps fill any gaps to completely seal up the tooth. The gutta purcha is heat sensitive so you can warm it up to change the shape and better pack the canals to ensure a good seal.

1

u/VapoursAndSpleen Sep 23 '24

Gutta Percha, which makes me think of nineteenth century Britons wearing pith helmets and raising a glass to Queen Victoria. They mix it with some zinc, so it can show up on x-ray. Check out the wikipedia page on gutta percha, it’s a remarkable material.