If you are experiencing tooth pain, you should get to your dentist as soon as you can. The sooner you can get a root canal treatment the better. Common root canal symptoms include constant pain, temperature sensitivity, a darkened tooth, swollen gums, pain with pressure, broken teeth, and large areas of decay.
You may feel that you have a tooth that will need a root canal procedure. At this stage, your best bet is to go see a top-quality dentist have your teeth evaluated, and determine your treatment options. You might truly need a root canal procedure, but you might also just need to have a filling or even just change your oral care routine. You will probably not have any root canal symptoms until your tooth is on the way to needing repair, but it may also be something other than deep decay. Let’s take a look at some of the most common root canal symptoms you may encounter.
- Pain
One main reason you may think you need to have root canal therapy is constant pain in one tooth or area of your mouth. When you tell your dentist you have a lot of tooth pain, the first thing that will happen is they will check your tooth to see if you have an infection or inflammation, and may also take an X-ray to see inside the tooth better. He or she may prescribe an antibiotic to help treat the infection as well as schedule you for a root canal treatment. If you have neglected your dental care routine you may find that you have a lot of pain in some places.
- Broken tooth
A broken tooth can knock the top off of your tooth and leave the nerves exposed to food and bacteria, so you may end up with an infection inside. The break may also be a chip or crack in the tooth that happened due to a hit from sports, or crunching down on hard candy or ice, or a bad prior dental procedure.
- Temperature sensitivity
You may also find that your tooth is sensitive to not just cold foods but also heat. Cold sensitivity is common even in people with healthy teeth, but hot sensitivity is different and goes well beyond a dull ache.
- Swollen gums
If the infection is under the tooth or at the gum line, you may have swollen gums. You may also see what looks like a welt where there is a pocket of infection. By drilling out the damaged part of the tooth, your dentist will be able to open up the tooth and let that infection out.
- Discolored tooth
An infected tooth may be discolored due to the blood vessel and nerve damage in the pulp, causing it to turn dark. It may also just be stained from food or drinks that need to be cleaned off.
- Pressure sensitivity
Sometimes when you are in need of a root canal treatment you find that you have tooth sensitivity to pressure, like chewing or even sleeping on that side. This usually happens when the nerves are damaged or dead and is another one of the signs of infection.
- Large caries or decay
One of the most common reasons you may need root canal therapy is for a really large cavity in the tooth. A large cavity is diseased tooth material, and that tooth decay can get into the pulp or root area. You will not be able to brush your tooth enough to get the damage out – it will need professional treatment and cleaning out.
What is involved in root canal treatment?
A root canal treatment is designed to help save your tooth from needing to be extracted. It is done when a regular filling is not going to be enough to save the interior parts of the tooth. Inside your tooth is an area called the pulp. It is where the blood vessels and nerves of the teeth are encased, and they run through the root canal down through the root.
- Your dentist will remove the tooth decay and the dead pulp from the tooth roots, then clean out the interior of the tooth with some specialized tools.
- Once he or she has done that, the tooth is then filled and sealed with a crown, or you may have a temporary filling done to allow for the infection to clear, and then it will be replaced with a permanent crown once the infection is gone. It will be like large fillings.
Depending on your area, this procedure may be done by a dentist or endodontist, a specialist in the dental pulp of the tooth.
You may wonder how much a root canal will cost. It is actually much less expensive than tooth extraction and replacement by an implant. A root canal will cost between $350 and $520, depending on where in the mouth you are having the work done. A molar is much more complex to repair than an incisor is. It also will vary by market and by whom you choose to do the work. A dentist will be less expensive than an endodontist. You can check with your insurance plan to see what kind of coverage you have for root canal treatments, as many plans provide at least partial coverage.
Root canal treatments are done routinely and, once complete, should relieve your pain. The way they are done under anesthetic you shouldn’t actually experience any pain during the procedure. There may be some residual pain in the area where the procedure was done but that will resolve in a few days.
The good news is, with proper care, your root canal treatment should last you forever. Overall there is a 95% success rate for root canals.
How to properly care for teeth?
Once you have your root canal therapy completed, you will need to make sure you keep up all of your oral health care to protect it and the rest of your teeth as well.
- This can mean using a soft-bristled manual toothbrush for a while and a sensitive teeth toothpaste. Brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least once to make sure your teeth stay clean.
- You will also want to keep all of your dental appointments so you can get your teeth professionally cleaned and so he or she can check on the status of your root canal therapy. If anything needs to be touched up or fixed, they can do it easily before you end up with any oral hygiene issues.
After your root canal treatment is done, and the healing has completed, you should feel a lot better and be free of pain. All signs of infection you had before like swelling, temperature sensitivity, and pressure will be gone and your teeth will not ache anymore. Your gums will be healthier again and you should be able to smile big once more.
Contact Us
IVANOV Orthodontic Experts, 12866 Biscayne Blvd, North Miami, FL 33181
https://www.google.com/maps?cid=154326063970645489
Call us at (786) 540-1919 to schedule a free orthodontic exam.
Learn more about Infection After Dental Bone Graft at https://ivanovortho.com/can-you-get-an-infection-after-a-dental-bone-graft/