Root canal treatment is an invasive procedure to remove decay and disinfect the pulp and root of a tooth. There are a few warning signs and common symptoms that may suggest you’re in need of a root canal, and if you’re concerned, book in to speak to one of our team at Dental @ Niddrie.
Your teeth are made up of multiple layers. The external enamel covers a layer of dentin (the hard material that makes up the majority of a tooth’s structure), which surrounds the soft inner core of the tooth. The core contains dental pulp, consisting of nerves and blood vessels.
If tooth decay reaches the soft core of a tooth, the pulp can become inflamed, infected, or in extreme cases necrotic, meaning that a root canal is necessary to clear the decay and disinfect the area with antibiotics.
Contents
1. Persistent Pain: A Clear Warning Sign
Persistent pain in any part of the body shouldn’t be ignored, but lingering pain in a tooth could be a sign of needing some dental treatment and may even indicate a need for a root canal. The pain could be constant, or it may come and go. It may be deep in a tooth or could spread to surrounding teeth or close areas of your face and jaw.
There are multiple reasons for persistent toothache. These may include gum disease, developing cavities, sinus infections (traveling pain), damage to fillings or impacted and infected teeth. Pain could indicate there is inflammation in the pulp of a tooth, which needs fairly urgent assessment by a dentist and shouldn’t be overlooked.
Whether you need a root canal or not, inflamed and infected teeth can lead to more severe problems for your teeth, mouth or general health if they are ignored and left untreated.
2. Heightened Sensitivity to Hot and Cold
Tooth sensitivity is a sharp, lingering pain caused by contact with extremes of temperature. This might be from hot drinks or hot food, ice cream or iced drinks, or even cold air. Some sensitivity at times is common, but sensitivity that is persistent or deteriorating may indicate a more serious dental issue.
Sensitivity usually happens when tooth enamel is weakened or the gum line has receded to expose dentin, one of the inner layers of a tooth. If a tooth needs a root canal, temperature sensitivity is more intense and may linger even after the removal of the stimulus, suggesting that the tooth pulp itself is inflamed or infected.
Don’t ignore it if you have noticed increased or worsening sensitivity in a tooth. Your dentist can determine how severe your sensitivity is and what treatment, if any, is required, up to and including a root canal.
Early intervention can save a tooth and prevent more pain or complications – root canal treatment is effective if needed and can be a permanent solution to temperature sensitivity.
3. Swollen, Tender or Pimple-Like Gums
Swollen gums near a tooth causing pain can be a sign of a tooth problem requiring a root canal. This swelling may be constant, or it may be intermittent – can you link it to a trigger if this is the case? The swelling might be tender when agitated by touch (even gentle probing from the tongue) or it could have no sensation at all.
Swelling in the gums (in cases requiring root canal treatment) comes from the accumulation of the waste products of dead or decaying tooth pulp. When this can’t escape, it causes swelling near the root of the tooth.
You may have a visible spot or pimple on your gum, which is otherwise known as an abscess and is a sure signal of an infection requiring treatment by a dental professional. An abscess may ooze pus into the mouth, which you would notice as an unpleasant taste in your mouth or the sudden onset of unusually bad breath.
4. Tooth Discolouration and Darkening
Infection in the pulp of a tooth can cause the tooth to become discoloured or dark. Trauma to a tooth or the breakdown of internal tissue can make the tooth blackened or grey, due to the death of tooth pulp compromising the blood supply that keeps a tooth its usual healthy colour.
The discolouration may be much more obvious in a front tooth, but if you’re concerned about a tooth further back in your mouth and you can’t get a good look yourself, book an appointment with your dentist. It could be nothing, but it could also be something your dentist can investigate and treat.
There may be other reasons for your tooth discolouration that don’t require root canal treatment, but it is always best to consult a professional for advice in the case of a tooth that has changed colour.
5. Pain When Chewing or Applying Pressure
A tooth that is sensitive to touch or to pressure caused by normal chewing motions may be one suffering from significant decay or nerve damage, both of which would require root canal treatment to solve.
An indication that this pain may need a root canal to treat, would be persistence over time and pain that doesn’t stop when the pressure is removed, or you stop eating. This kind of pain is due to increased sensitivity around the ligament that holds a tooth in place, which is caused by the tooth root slowly dying.
Waste build-up from the dying root irritates the ligament and causes pain with the building pressure under the tooth and gumline.
Closing Thoughts: How to Avoid a Root Canal
Once you need a root canal, there’s no avoiding it, but good dental hygiene may help to reduce the need for root canal treatment in the first place. You should be brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and flossing daily to remove any interdental debris.
An antimicrobial mouthwash can help give your mouth further protection from decay. Regular dental check-ups will help to catch any problems early, and yearly appointments with a dental hygienist will give your teeth a full professional scale and clean. You should aim to limit your sugar intake in order to protect your teeth and avoid smoking or vaping to reduce damage to your teeth caused by these.
If you do need a root canal, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Our sensitive, friendly team at Dental @ Niddrie can support you with any anxieties you have leading up to and during a dental procedure. Just get in touch to see how we can help.
