A root canal treatment is a procedure that is needed to clean the decaying matter in your tooth’s pulp and root. Our teeth are covered by an enamel layer and a second layer of dentin. The soft core after dentin is the pulp that extends into the root of your jawbone. The pulp of teeth consists of connective tissues, blood vessels, and nerves. When decay occurs in the soft core, your tooth pulp becomes inflamed, infected, or may also become dead. Hence, root canal treatment becomes necessary to get the decay out of your affected tooth as early as possible.
But the question is, how does a person know if he/she needs a root canal treatment? Let’s find out.
6 Telltale Signs You Need a Root Canal Treatment
1. Persistent Tooth Pain
If you are suffering from a toothache that doesn’t go away or keeps returning from time to time, it might mean that you need a root canal treatment. This pain is typically felt deep in the bone of your tooth. Some people also experience referred pain in the face, jaw, or in other teeth.
However, toothache may also indicate other diseases, such as gum disease, cavities, referred pain from a sinus infection, a damaged filling, or infection. Regardless of the cause, persistent tooth pain warrants an early visit to a dentist near you.
2. Sensitivity When Drinking or Eating
Does your tooth hurt when you eat or drink something hot or cold? Tooth sensitivity may either feel like a dull ache or sharp pain. If you continue to feel this kind of sensitivity even when you stop eating or drinking, a root canal procedure might become necessary. It is because, when you suffer from tooth sensitivity, it might mean that blood vessels and nerves in your tooth are either infected or inflamed.
3. Tooth Discoloration
If the pulp of your tooth becomes infected, it can also cause the affected tooth to be discolored. The trauma caused by infection or the breakdown of internal tissues can damage roots and give the tooth a grayish-black appearance.
Did you know that tooth pulp can die due to an insufficient supply of blood?
4. Swelling in Gums
If there is swelling near the toothache, it can be a sign of a problem that needs a root canal procedure. The swelling may come and go, and the area could be tender to the touch or may not be painful to the touch. Swelling is often caused by acidic waste produced by dead pulp tissues that results in swelling outside the root tip area. Sometimes, a pimple develops on the gum that may ooze pus from the infection in the tooth.
5. A Chipped or cracked tooth
If you have a chipped or cracked tooth, sometimes, bacteria can set in and lead to inflammation and infection. In some cases, even if a tooth injury that doesn’t involve chipping or cracking, the injury may still damage the nerves of the tooth. When nerves become inflamed, aching, and sensitive, you may need root canal treatment.
6. A Moving Tooth
If you have a loose tooth that is infected, it can also indicate that a root canal procedure is in order. Acidic waste produced due to nerve death can soften the bone around the root, causing the tooth becomes loose or mobile.
So, if you are noticing any of the above signs, don’t delay and make an appointment for root canal treatment at a nearby reputable dental clinic.