Root canal therapy refers to a treatment in which your dentist removes the bacteria infection that has entered your tooth’s pulp or nerve chamber.
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Why would you need a root canal?
There are several reasons why your tooth may become irritated and inflamed, such as: deep decay, big fillings, trauma to the tooth, a chipped tooth or even repeated dental work.
Once your dentist has identified the infection inside your tooth you may be wondering what other options you have besides getting a root canal. The first is to do nothing. However, if the bacteria are not removed it will work its way to the tip of the root and eventually into your bone. Once it does, it will cause an abscess and infection. Obviously this course of action, or inaction, is not recommended.
Your second choice is to extract or remove the tooth. Be aware if you simply extract the tooth, the space caused by the missing tooth will cause the surrounding teeth to shift into that space. This shift could cause a miss alignment in your mouth that can result in problems with your jaw. In addition, these shifted teeth are harder to clean, making them more susceptible to gum disease, decay or even additional tooth loss.
If you do elect to pull the tooth your best plan would be to replace it with a dental appliance such as an implant or a bridge. This of course would add more expense to the treatment in addition to the loss of your tooth.
Symptoms that indicate that you may need for root canal therapy are:
- Intense Toothahe pain that wakes you up at night.
- Pain when biting or chewing.
- When having hot or cold foods your tooth is throbbing
- Gum Swelling when pressed may release blood or pus.
- Pain that starts in one tooth and spreads to other areas of the mouth such as the jaw, lower molar (Back tooth) and then even causes you to feel pain in the ear!
You may have no symptons at all but its always wise to consult a dentist.
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