Bad Tooth Pain? Signs You May Need A Root Canal And How It Is Done

If you are having a lot of tooth pain, you need to see your dentist immediately. One thing they may find wrong is that you need a root canal. To help you, below are some signs that you can look for, as well as how the root canal procedure works.

Root Canal Signs

Besides having persistent pain in your tooth, there are other symptoms you can have. Pain can be caused by other things, however, such as cavities, gum disease, or damage to a filling. You will also notice that you are sensitive to heat and cold in the painful area. This may cause sharp pain, or you may have a dull ache.

You may notice that the tooth is discolored, which is caused by the infection of the pulp in your tooth. The tooth may look gray or a darker color, depending on how bad the infection is. You may also have swollen gums in the area where you are having pain. The gum will also hurt when you brush your teeth or touch it. You may feel pain while you are eating, which indicates that you have a severe infection. You also may notice that the tooth is a little loose due to the infection. 

Root Canal Procedure

If the dentist decides that you need a root canal, it can help to understand the procedure before you go. The dentist may be able to do this procedure in one visit, but in some cases, it will take two visits if the tooth is very infected. The dentist cuts a small opening on your tooth to gain access to the pulp. They clean the pulp and remove all infection. They also space the shape to give enough space for them to put in the filling. When this is done, the dentist will choose a material to use when they fill the root canal.

You will need to return to the dentist after a certain amount of time to have a crown placed on the tooth. This crown protects the tooth to help prevent damage to it in the future. To do the crown, they will take a mold of the tooth and have one made for you. While you are waiting for the crown to be finished, the doctor will put a temporary crown on the tooth. 

Your dentist can go over the root canal procedure with you in more detail.