When Do You Need a Root Canal?

When Do You Need a Root Canal

Every tooth’s root has a small opening known as a canal that is filled with nerve fibers and blood vessels that provide nutrition to our teeth. These blood vessels and nerves are crucial to the health of your teeth; if they become infected, they may start to hurt significantly.

If your teeth get infected, you may need a root canal to disinfect the painful, infected area, prevent reinfection, and preserve your tooth to avoid having to replace it. When performing the procedure, your dentist will extract the inflamed or infected pulp — the material in the root of your tooth that contains the nerves, connective tissue, and blood vessels. They will then carefully clean the area, fill it, and seal the inside of the tooth to prevent reinfection.

The School of Dental Medicine estimates that more than 15 million root canal procedures are carried out annually. Every day, more than 41,000 root canals are performed — they are very common. The good news is that the treatment’s efficacy has a solid track record. Given how frequent dental root canal procedures are, you have probably heard of them. To better assist you in understanding root canals, this article offers information on when this procedure is necessary.

What Leads to the Need for a Root Canal?

A root canal procedure is needed when a tooth exhibits symptoms of infection or significant pulpal nerve damage. Bacteria can get into the pulp when a tooth is broken or has a large cavity. If this situation is not addressed, it may result in a serious infection, bone loss, or even the loss of the tooth.

To give you a clearer picture, here are the most frequent factors that lead to pulpal nerve damage and require root canal treatment:

  • Tooth decay
  • Fractured tooth
  • Leaky fillings
  • Trauma to the tooth that leads to nerve damage

Pulpal Damage Symptoms That May Require a Root Canal

Here are the following signs and symptoms of a pulp infection that may need a root canal:

  • Pain when chewing or biting
  • A loose tooth
  • Teeth that are too sensitive to cold or hot beverages
  • Facial, jaw, or cheek swelling
  • Gum tenderness and swelling
  • Tooth discoloration or tooth graying or darker color
  • There’s a flow of pus or fluid from the tooth

When To See Your Dentist

It is extremely important to go to the dentist if you have tooth pain. The pulp in your tooth cannot recover on its own if it is infected. A tooth infection that is left untreated could get worse. This kind of infection, if untreated, can result in tooth abscess, pulp death, bone loss, tooth loss, and extreme pain.

Your dentist in Maryland will recommend a root canal if you experience ongoing tooth pain or swelling in the mouth or gums, especially if the pain or swelling is brought on by an infection deep inside the tooth.

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