How A Root Canal Helps A Toothache And When The Procedure Is Indicated

Dentist Blog

If you're suffering with a toothache, you may be wondering if you'll need to have a root canal treatment when you go to the dentist. It usually depends on if there is an infection in the root of your tooth. Here is some information about why a root canal is needed and how it helps a toothache.

Signs You Might Need A Root Canal

A toothache alone doesn't mean you're going to need a root canal. Your tooth might be hurting because a cavity irritates the nerve in your tooth. If the toothache is accompanied by swelling of the gums or jaw, that's an indication there is infection present around the root of your tooth. This can be a serious condition because the infection can spread to your sinuses or get into your bloodstream. Your jaw might become quite swollen and painful, and you could have other signs of an infection too, such as a fever and swollen lymph nodes.

A bump may form on your gums that oozes blood and pus as the infection erupts through your gum. You might occasionally notice a foul tasting, bloody discharge draining into your mouth. The pain from an abscessed or infected tooth usually gets worse over time as the infection builds. The pain might come and go as the fluid drains out of your tooth and you may think your infection has healed. Sometimes, the only way to know for sure if there is infection around the root of your tooth is with a dental examination. That's why you shouldn't put off having a toothache treated.

How A Root Canal Helps A Toothache

A root canal is a procedure that scrapes infection and diseased pulp out of the root of your tooth so it can heal and stop hurting. During the process, the abscess is drained of fluid, although it could take a few days for swelling to go down if it has spread to your face or jaw. After the infection is removed, your dentist might insert an antibiotic into the area before sealing the canal. You might be given oral antibiotics too depending on the severity of the infection. Cleaning out the infection with a root canal treatment saves your tooth from being pulled. The cavity that allowed the infection to enter your tooth is filled, although you might need a crown if the cavity is too large to hold onto a regular filling.

Although the root canal treatment sounds painful, the area around your infected tooth is numbed first, so you don't feel pain during the procedure. Draining the pus and removing the infected tissue removes the source of pain, so your tooth should feel much better once the procedure is over. Contact a dental office, like Apollo Dental Center, for more help.

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8 November 2017

Fluoride: Why I Drink Tap Water

When the bottled water craze began, I jumped on the bandwagon with everyone else who was drinking water from bottles instead of from the tap. I wasn't sure why bottled water was healthier, but I liked the taste. When I went for my next dental check-up, I had my first cavity in a while, so I had it filled and didn't think much of it. Well, I had two more during my next check-up after that, and I began trying to think of why my teeth were suddenly going bad. The only change in my habits was the switch to bottled water, so I made the switch back to tap water and my teeth began to improve. I created this blog to encourage others who have begun getting cavities suddenly to look into their changes in habits. They may find they made a change similar to mine.