Root canal treatment repairs and restores severely damaged teeth that are affecting the tooth’s roots. The treatment aims to relieve pain and save as much natural tooth structure as possible. Going without treatment when a root canal is necessary can have dire effects on surrounding teeth, gums, and bone.
Root canal treatment is available at Smile Solutions in Pittsburg and the surrounding area. We can determine whether a root canal is necessary and help relieve your pain. Call us today at 620-317-0286Â to schedule an appointment or learn more about our services.
Resolving Pain With Root Canals
The dental issues that cause the need for root canals often make patients uncomfortable. At the bare minimum, patients will experience an excruciating toothache. These toothaches may be spontaneous, occurring even when the patient is not using the tooth. Eventually, this may evolve into a severe headache. Many patients often do not make the connection between the toothache and the headache.
A tooth that is still alive will also be sensitive to heat and cold, even after the patient has removed the stimulus. The tooth may be particularly susceptible to heat sensitivity. Patients with teeth that are already dead and have become abscessed will experience pain when the patient chews or otherwise puts pressure on the tooth. Any abscesses may produce swelling or bleeding, even to the point of requiring emergency care.
- The underlying causes of root canals can often make patients uncomfortable.
When To See A Dentist About Root Canals
Many different factors may contribute to a patient needing a root canal. These conditions can manifest themselves as various symptoms. These include chips or cracks in teeth, pain while eating or touching the tooth, persistent pain, sensitivity to heat and cold, and swollen gums.
Chips or cracks in the tooth allow empty spaces for bacteria to settle in and cause infection and inflammation, while tooth sensitivity may be a sign of severe decay or nerve damage. In general, toothaches are a sign that a patient should see a dentist.
Tooth sensitivity may linger longer when the blood vessels and nerves in the tooth have become infected or damaged. Swelling may also come and go. It is frequently associated with abscesses, which may be accompanied by unpleasant taste and odor.
Infected teeth may also feel looser than healthy teeth, due to nerve death softening the bone. Furthermore, teeth may turn grayish-black when the roots have been damaged, and the internal tissue has been broken down.
Poor brushing is almost as bad as not brushing at all. In order to remove bacteria and plaque, teeth need to be brushed for at least two minutes. Take the time to move the toothbrush in gentle, circular motions, and make sure to clean all the surfaces of the teeth.
Proper flossing is also integral to a good oral hygiene routine. According to Healthline, patients should use 18 to 24 inches of dental floss, winding most of it around both middle fingers. Only about one to two inches of floss should be reserved for the teeth. Floss should be held taut between the thumbs and index fingers before being placed between the teeth. It should then be gently glided up and down. Patients should curve the floss at the base of the tooth, forming a C shape. A new, clean section of floss should be used for each tooth.
The mouth is full of bacteria. Proper brushing and flossing can keep these bacteria under control and keep them from causing any damage. But if hours or days pass between brushings, the bacteria can build up. When left in place too long, the bacteria start attacking the teeth.
- These conditions can manifest themselves as various symptoms.
When Root Canals Are The Only Option
Root canal treatments are necessary when the pulp of the tooth has become inflamed or infected and needs removal. This may happen due to deep decay, cracks or chips in the tooth, faulty crowns, and repeated dental procedures. Patients should also be warned that facial trauma may still damage the pulp even when the tooth does not have visible chips or cracks. Leaving pulp inflammation or infection untreated may lead to pain or the formation of an abscess.
When left untreated, teeth with damaged pulp eventually die. This can negatively impact your overall oral health, as well as make it difficult to eat and chew. Root canals can help preserve the remaining tooth. The procedure may be followed by the placement of an implant or a crown.
- Root canal treatments are necessary when the pulp of the tooth has become inflamed or infected and needs to be removed.
Alternative Treatments
A root canal is the only treatment that can help save a tooth if the patient has enough natural tooth structure to work with. For cases in which the patient does not, the only alternative treatment is an extraction with tooth replacement options that include a crown, bridge, or implant.
Extractions are necessary when a patient has a root fracture, an insufficient amount of remaining tooth structure, a significant amount of tooth resorption, or multiple past root canals. An extraction can preserve surrounding teeth, gums, and bone by preventing the infection from spreading. Without root canal treatment or extraction, the entire area becomes at risk.
- Root canals become necessary when a patient experiences or notices persistent pain, swollen gums, sensitivity to hot and cold stimuli, tooth discoloration, a chip or crack, and tooth mobility.
Emergency Root Canals
Since every tooth that requires a root canal is in the process of dying, patients should consider every root canal an emergency procedure. Delaying treatment will only increase the chances of pulp necrosis, or having the pulp of the tooth die off entirely. Only a root canal procedure or tooth extraction can reverse the symptoms of pulp necrosis. When left untreated, pulp necrosis may put patients at risk for infection, fever, jaw swelling, cellulitis, abscesses (including those in the brain), sinusitis, periodontitis, and bone loss. Contact our office immediately if you are experiencing severe toothaches when biting down or chewing, sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures (especially hot), darkening or discoloration of the teeth, swelling or tender gums, and pimples on the gums.
- Since every tooth that requires a root canal is in the process of dying, patients should consider every root canal an emergency procedure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quality Dental Services Can Transform Your Smile
By visiting us as soon as possible, our team can help get you the professional treatment you need. Instead of waiting around and allowing the symptoms to get worse, we can provide you with treatment options.
Dental Terminology
Cosmetic dentistry is generally used to refer to any dental work that improves the appearance (though not necessarily the function) of a person’s teeth, gums, and/or bite.
Tooth decay occurs when the enamel of the tooth begins to decay, causing erosion from plaque and tartar on the teeth.
Dental caries are also known as cavities and result from a lack of proper oral hygiene, leaving plaque that forms tiny holes in the teeth.
A dental checkup is an appointment that involves cleaning the teeth, identifying any signs of infection, and removing said signs of infection at least once every six months in the office.
A dental filling involves restoring the structure of the tooth by using metal, alloy, porcelain or plastic to fill the tooth.
A dental prophylaxis is a professional and detailed cleaning that involves the removal of plaque, calculus, and stains from the teeth.
Dental sealants contain a resinous material that we apply to the chewing surfaces of the posterior teeth to prevent dental caries.
A dentist, also known as a dental surgeon, is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity.
Gingivitis is the inflammation of gum tissue that results from plaque, other infections in the mouth, and poor oral hygiene.
Preventive dentistry is the dentistry that focuses on maintaining oral health in order to prevent the spread of plaque, the formation of tartar, and infections in the mouth.
Tartar forms when plaque builds up on the surface of the teeth and calcifies into a hard surface that is much more difficult to remove and will require professional treatment.
Tooth enamel is the protective visible outer surface of a tooth that contains the dentin and dental pulp.
Learn More Today
For many patients, a root canal procedure is just what they need to save their tooth. We at Smile Solutions may be able to help. Call us today to learn more and schedule an appointment.