Has your tooth pain lasted longer than expected? Or has it recurred? Persistent pain can indicate a damaged root. A root canal procedure can save the tooth. If it’s treated quickly, it can prevent infections, avoid complications and help you keep your natural teeth. However, if you leave the tooth untreated, it could require further dental work or even lead to losing the tooth completely.
Toothache
A persistent toothache can be a sign that you need root canal treatment. This pain can be dull or sharp, and it may go away for a while but return. This is a sign of infection in the pulp tissue inside your tooth, which can only be resolved with a root canal. You might also notice swelling around a tooth or a lump in your gums. Swelling can be the result of acidic waste from dead pulp tissue accumulating in the root tip area or of a pimple (called a gum boil or parulis) that oozes pus.
Lingering sensitivity to cold food and water is another common sign that you need root canal treatment. This is because bacteria have exposed dentinal tubules in the infected tooth, which are usually protected from outside stimulation. This sensitivity is a sign that the tooth’s nerve supply is damaged and no longer working normally. The sensitivity will usually disappear once the infection is treated with a root canal.
Sensitivity
Although some sensitivity is common after root canal treatment it should not last more than a month. Proper oral hygiene, avoidance of temperature extremes, and use of desensitizing toothpaste can help alleviate this discomfort.
If your tooth is still sensitive to cold it may be a sign that the nerve was missed during a root canal procedure. This can happen if the tooth was not fully numbed, or if it had additional nerves inside which were not removed.
Other symptoms to look out for include a foul taste in the mouth, swelling around the treated area, and persistent bleeding. These can indicate an infection that requires prompt attention from your dentist in 50574.
Infection
A root canal can save teeth with severe decay or trauma, but the tooth’s pulp chamber can become infected and lead to serious complications if the infection is not treated promptly. X-rays and other tests can help your dentist identify an infection, administer local anesthesia to numb the area, then drill into the affected tooth to remove any bacteria or dead tissue from the canal. They can then disinfect and seal the root canals, dry them, and place a filler called gutta-percha to close off potential spaces where bacteria could re-enter.
A persistent bad smell or taste from the mouth may be an indicator of a root canal infection, as bacteria from the infected tooth produce foul-smelling gases. A lingering infection can also weaken the tooth and surrounding bone, which can cause it to become loose or shift out of alignment. In severe cases, the infection can spread and lead to tooth loss.
Trauma
Inside each tooth, beneath the hard layer called dentin and the white enamel is a soft tissue known as pulp. This contains blood vessels and nerves. During development, the pulp grows along with the root of the tooth. But if the tooth’s pulp becomes inflamed or infected, it may die.
The symptoms of a dying pulp can be mild to severe and include pain, swelling, discoloration and sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures. It’s important to catch an infection early with regular dental checkups and treatment.
A root canal is the procedure used to remove inflamed or dead tooth pulp and clean and seal the area. Infection from a damaged pulp can lead to serious health complications, including a deadly abscess. Root canal treatments typically take one or two appointments, with X-rays to scope out the degree of damage to the pulp and bone surrounding the tooth. After the treatment, your dentist will fill and crown the tooth to prevent future infections and complications.