When a root canal becomes necessary
A root canal becomes necessary when the dental pulp is inflamed or has died. The most common cause is advanced caries that has reached the pulp. Other causes are trauma, repeated deep restorations or a bacterial infection through the root tip.
Symptoms range from persistent throbbing pain through pressure sensitivity when biting to swelling at the gum. In some cases the pulp has already died and the tooth no longer hurts. These silent courses are not harmless: bacteria migrate through the root tip into the bone and can cause granulomas or abscesses there.
A full description of the procedure is on our service overview for root canal and in the background article on root canal. This page describes the treatment in Zurich Bellevue.
Treatment in Bellevue
After local anesthesia we apply the rubber dam. This rubber protection isolates the tooth from saliva and prevents bacteria from entering the root canal during treatment. Without rubber dam a successful root canal is not medically reliable.
Then we prepare the root canal mechanically with rotary nickel-titanium instruments. These instruments are more flexible than manual files and reliably reach even curved canal anatomies. We rinse with sodium hypochlorite and EDTA in parallel to completely remove bacteria and organic tissue.
After preparation we seal the canal bacteria-tight with thermoplastic gutta-percha. The tooth is then definitively restored, depending on residual tooth substance with a composite build-up filling, a post and core or a crown.
Complex cases and revisions
In about five to ten percent of cases a renewed inflammation develops years after a root canal. Most common cause is an anatomically complex canal that was not completely captured in the first treatment, or subsequent bacterial penetration through a leaking restoration.
In these cases a revision treatment is possible. If revision is not promising, we coordinate the apicoectomy with our oral surgery team in Bellevue. With a non-preservable tooth we discuss implant restoration. More on decision logic in the article Root canal or implant.
Multilingual treatment
The Bellevue practice serves an international patient base from the city center and surrounding municipalities. Our team speaks seven languages. If your first language is not German, state that when booking; we will assign accordingly.
Insurance and cost estimate
Swiss basic insurance generally does not cover root canal treatment. Supplementary insurance with dental care module can cover part of the costs. You receive a written cost estimate from us before treatment begins. More on insurance logic in the article on health insurance at the dentist and on cost structure in the article What does a root canal cost.
After treatment
A root-treated tooth without stable definitive restoration fractures within months to years. The crown or build-up is medically imperative, not optional. We discuss material options before treatment begins. Then we recommend a dental hygiene check-up every six to twelve months.
Getting to the Zurich Bellevue practice
Resident Zurich Bellevue, Stadelhoferstrasse 42, 8001 Zurich. Three minutes’ walk from Stadelhofen station, two from Bellevueplatz. Tram 2, 4, 11, 15 stop Stadelhofen or Bellevue. By car via Parkhaus Opéra, five minutes’ walk to the practice.