When the root canals in your teeth become infected, you need to seek professional treatment quickly. Endodontic treatment, also known as root canal therapy, involves addressing damaged and diseased internal tooth structure. Infected root canals can be saved from abscesses or extraction when endodontic care is performed. Our dentists provide gentle and effective root canal treatment.
What are root canals?
Root canals are hollow chambers located within the root systems of teeth. Inside the chamber are dental pulp and nerve endings. Dental pulp contains living material and nerve endings relay information to the brain when inflamed or irritated, which then leads to a person feeling pain or discomfort when an infection is present. In healthy teeth, root canals are not exposed to oral debris and bacteria. However, if a tooth has been cracked, deeply chipped, or badly decayed, the root canal can be vulnerable to infection.
What are the symptoms of an infected root canal?
The most common symptom that patients report with exposed root canals are toothaches. Discomfort can come in the form of a consistent nagging pain or a sharp pain when biting down on food or drinking a hot or cold beverage. If an infected root canal is not treated in a timely fashion, the pain can go away. Some patients may think they have recovered but the truth is the nerve ending died and the infection is still present. This infection can spread and form an abscess at the base of the tooth’s roots.
Why is root canal treatment necessary?
Root canal treatment is necessary for a patient to keep his or her tooth. Without treatment, the complications associated with an infected root canal will result in the need for extraction to preserve the health of neighboring oral structures. Losing a tooth to disease or injury has lasting ramifications on a person’s well-being so it is best for a patient’s health to save biological teeth when possible.
Is root canal therapy painful?
Our dentists takes great care to make sure that our guests have a comfortable experience. We use anesthetics and sedatives, if necessary, to ensure positive and worry-free treatment.
Contact us at Dental Depot today to reserve an appointment.