4 Warning Signs You Need a Root Canal

Root canals have a reputation as a scary dental procedure. However, a root canal is actually a highly effective way to protect your dental and oral health! A root canal can address tooth pain, inflammation, infection, and trauma, reducing your risks of permanent tooth loss.

At A Caring Dental Group of Cleveland, Ohio, our team uses root canals to save teeth damaged by trauma or extensive tooth decay. Root canals also prevent the spread of infection and protect against other oral health complications.

This minimally invasive procedure involves removing the pulp from the inside of a tooth, stopping the progression of tooth decay. To complete your root canal and dental restoration, your provider fills the cavity with replacement dental material and seals it to keep any harmful bacteria out.

Do you need a root canal? Watch out for these four key warning signs.

1. Tooth pain

Tooth pain is almost always a sign that you should get your condition checked out by a dentist. If you have deep areas of decay within a tooth, shooting or persistent pain can result. Without the right treatment, tooth decay can result in your needing to have the affected tooth extracted.

A root canal allows your dentist at A Caring Dental Group to clear away decay, extract inflamed pulp, and cover the affected tooth with a crown. Root canals save as much of your existing tooth structure as possible, including the tooth root that’s embedded in your gums.

2. Dental temperature sensitivity

In addition to tooth pain, other types of sensation in your teeth can alert you to the presence of deep tooth decay that needs to be addressed with a root canal or other restorative dentistry procedure. This includes increased sensitivity to heat and cold. If exposing your tooth to hot or cold beverages and food triggers a dull ache or sharp pain, get a second opinion from a dentist.

3. Swelling in your gums

If your gum tissue becomes infected because of tooth decay, a root canal may help. This underlying infection in your gum tissue is called periodontal (gum) disease. Gum disease is a serious health condition. Through your gums, the infection can continue to spread to other areas of your body, causing further, and more serious, urgent health issues.

4. A fractured or broken tooth

When your teeth fracture, crack, or break, a root canal can help with both resulting pain and risks of infection. In case of a broken or fractured tooth, exposure of your tooth’s nerves to the air can become extremely painful. Seek dental treatment right away in case of a broken tooth!

The only real way to determine if you need a root canal is to seek expert advice from an experienced dentist, like those found at A Caring Dental Group. Regular dental check-ups are also helpful in keeping potential issues like tooth decay from becoming dental emergencies.

To find out more about whether a root canal could improve your dental and oral health, contact us online or over the phone today, and schedule your initial consultation appointment now.