During a root canal, dentists remove the material inside your tooth, fill the hole, and repair the surface. Having a root canal can often save your tooth and end the unpleasant symptoms that make it necessary. Therefore, it’s important to recognize signs that you might need a root canal so you can act quickly.
Kathryn Jodry, DDS, can perform root canal procedures with minimal discomfort, freeing you from those unpleasant symptoms, preventing infection from reaching the jawbone, and saving the tooth.
How do you know if you need a root canal? The only way to be sure is to visit us for an evaluation. Meanwhile, here are some telltale signs that you likely need one.
Pain is the most obvious sign that you need a root canal. It develops because the soft pulp inside your tooth has become infected. This pulp contains nerve endings and blood vessels, so it’s very sensitive. Making matters worse, hard enamel encloses it, intensifying the pressure and worsening pain.
The pain is likely to be persistent and may be severe. It typically feels like it’s penetrating the bone under the affected tooth and often spreads into the adjacent teeth or your face. Pain might always be present or come and go, but it won’t disappear without treatment.
Many people have sensitive teeth and find it hard to eat or drink anything, particularly hot or cold. If they do, it sends sharp, excruciating pain down the tooth for a brief moment.
However, if your inner tooth is infected, the sensitivity doesn’t disappear quickly and isn’t limited to hot or cold food and drink. Instead, it becomes a dull ache that lingers for a long time, even if you aren’t eating or drinking.
The problem occurs when the connective tissue at the tip of an infected tooth’s root becomes hypersensitive. Severe infection kills the pulp, creating waste products that irritate the ligament and result in pain when you bite down.
An infection can discolor the enamel when it reaches the tooth’s pulp. This discoloration, typically grayish-black, develops because the pulp breaks down and damages the tooth roots.
Discoloration caused by pulp death is more noticeable in the front teeth. However, it’s the back teeth that more often need root canals.
If you have a painful tooth and the gums around it swell, that could indicate you need a root canal. Swelling in the gums develops because of acidic waste produced by dead pulp tissues. This gum swelling might be constant or come and go. The swollen gum may be tender to the touch, but not always.
Another gum change that often suggests you need a root canal is a gum abscess (a parulis or gum boil). This boil is like a small pimple near the affected tooth. It might contain pus produced by the tooth infection, which can cause an unpleasant taste and halitosis (bad breath) if it oozes out of the boil.
If you have all four of the above signs, you probably need a root canal. If you have three or fewer, a root canal might be required, or there could be another explanation, such as gum disease or cavities.
To ensure you get the correct treatment for whatever’s causing your symptoms, visit Dr. Jodry for a thorough assessment. She examines your teeth and takes X-rays to see inside the tooth and evaluate your jawbone.
Root canals aren’t the scary procedures you might fear, so if you develop these four signs of needing one, call Kathryn Jodry, DDS, to schedule a consultation or use our online form to request an appointment.
