Do you have a toothache anywhere in your mouth? Are any of your teeth overly sensitive to heat or cold? Is the tooth tender to touch? Is the gum swollen or reddish? If you have any of these symptoms you may need a root canal.
All of the above are signs of an infection in your mouth. While we all know about gum disease, what fewer people realize is that infections can occur on the inside of their teeth. When this happens, the soft tissue inside the tooth — called the “pulp” — becomes swollen and inflamed, which can cause a great amount of pain.
The best way to treat an infection inside your tooth is with a root canal. This is where our San Diego emergency dentist team comes in.
What’s a Root Canal?
In very simple terms, a root canal is when a dentist or a specialist dentist called an “endodontist” removes the infected pulp from inside the tooth. Once the pulp is gone, they fill the tooth with a special kind of material and seal the space to prevent further infection.
By carefully removing all of the infected tissue, they restore the tooth to a much healthier state and the pain will go away.
How Do Teeth Become Infected on the Inside?
There are a variety of things that may cause the inside of your tooth to become inflamed or infected: deep decay, repeated dental procedures on the tooth, or a crack or chip in the tooth.
In addition, an injury to a tooth may cause the pulp inside to become damaged even if the tooth has no visible chips or cracks. Think of it like internal injuries when someone is in a car accident: you might not see anything on the outside, but something can still be very wrong on the inside.
Why Is It Important to Get a Root Canal?
If pulp inflammation or infection is left untreated, it can cause pain or lead to an abscess. In the worst case scenario, it’ll be necessary to remove the tooth entirely. A root canal is the last line of defense between internal infection and disease, and losing the tooth altogether.
What Happens After a Root Canal?
Once you’ve had a root canal, a dental crown will need to be placed over the tooth. A crown is sort of like a helmet that sits over a tooth that’s chipped, cracked, or damaged. Since a small hole is made in the tooth to perform the root canal, and the inner pulp has been removed, it’s important to restore the strength and integrity of the tooth. This is where the crown comes in.
If you’re in extreme pain, or worried about the condition of one of your teeth, contact us any time.
At PB Dental Emergencies we offer 24/7 emergency dental procedures in San Diego, so you never have to be in discomfort a second longer than necessary.