Signs You Might Need a Root Canal

A root canal is a dental procedure you’ve probably heard of but may not know what it is. A root canal — also called endodontic therapy — treats an infection in the tooth pulp, the innermost layer of your teeth. It’s fairly common: Dentists perform about 15 million root canals in the United States each year. Fortunately, you can usually avoid this procedure with consistent at-home dental care.

To start, let’s discuss why you would need a root canal.

As mentioned above, a root canal addresses bacterial infections and inflammation in your tooth pulp. Your tooth pulp may become infected if you have a deep cavity that is left untreated or you have a damaged or cracked tooth with plaque that invades your tooth.

How do you know if you need a root canal? Well, you might not! You could have an infected tooth without any symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they may include:

Chronic tooth pain

Everything from a cold beverage or a super sweet bite of chocolate to a stressful night of teeth grinding can make your teeth hurt. However, if you experience deep, long-lasting pain that spreads to your face, jaw, or other teeth, you may have an infection. 

Sensitivity to pressure

Does your tooth hurt when you chew or touch it? Something may have damaged the nerves around your pulp. 

Swollen jaw

An infected tooth may cause your jaw to swell if the pus doesn’t drain properly.

Swollen gums

Your gums often feel tender or swollen if you have an infected tooth. You may also see boils or pimples on your gums that excrete pus.

Discolored or loose tooth

Your tooth may turn dark because the infected pulp stops blood from flowing to your tooth. You may also notice that your tooth feels loose. Pus from the infected pulp can soften your supporting bones and loosen your tooth. 

Now that you understand the causes and symptoms of a tooth infection, let’s dig into what happens during a root canal.

To start, your dentist will take dental X-rays of the infected tooth. If other tests are needed to determine if you need a root canal, they may do one of the following:

• Ask you to bite down and see if it hurts
• Gently tap on your tooth
• Check for signs of swelling in your gums and jaw
• Touch it with a cold or hot substance to check for discomfort or sensitivity
• Complete an electric pulp test (EPT) using a device that runs electric current through your teeth to see if your pump reacts

If a root canal is the necessary treatment, here are the steps of the procedure:

1. First, your provider injects anesthesia and numbs your infected tooth and the surrounding area. If you suffer from dental anxiety, your dentist can also give you some medicine to help you relax. Note that will make you feel sleepy, so you’ll need someone to drive you home after the procedure.
2. Your dentist places a dental dam, a thin and flexible piece of rubber, over your infected tooth and gums. This will help to keep your tooth dry during the treatment.
3. Next, they drill a tiny hole in the crown of your tooth so they can access the pulp.
4. Using dental instruments, they remove the tissues, nerves, and blood vessels inside your pulp.
5. Now, they clean and disinfect the pulp chamber and root canals.
6. Then, they fill the clean and empty chamber with gutta-percha, a rubbery dental material.
7. They seal your tooth with a temporary filling to keep bacteria from getting into it.

The last step is the placement of a dental crown, which protects your tooth and restores your bite. Because crowns are made-to-order, it may take two to three weeks after your procedure. You’ll usually see your dentist for two follow-up appointments: one to prepare your tooth for the dental crown and one to place it.

We hope you will reach out to Maitland Ave Smile Co. for your dental care!

 

Call us at 407.834.0330 to schedule your appointment today! Check out our Dental Blog to learn more about topics like restorative dentistry, dental anxiety, and more.