If the root canal of your tooth is infected, the bacteria can be removed by either extraction or root canal treatment. A root canal treatment is a dental procedure involving the removal of infected pulp or nerves from a tooth. This removal is followed by sealing to protect the tooth from future pain. Risk factors for infections in your tooth pulp include recent dental procedures, cracks in your teeth, large fillings, or severe tooth decay. It is necessary to conduct preliminary treatment to remove the source of infection as well as the decay. You dentist may refer you to an endodontist for a root canal treatment if you experience some of the following signs and symptoms:
Abscess
An abscess will be noticeable on an x-ray. It is a hole in your jawbone caused by bone that won't grow in an infected area. The infection originates from the tip of the root where everything spills out from the dead tissues inside your tooth.
Pains
You may experience a variety of pains in your tooth and these could be signs that you need the treatment. Some of these pains include:
Positional pain: If you have a toothache and realize that the pain gets worse every time you stand up or lie down suddenly, it is possible that your tooth is dead and a root canal treatment may be needed.
Referring pain: If you experience pains in other parts of your body, like the surrounding teeth or your jaw, chances are you have an abscess.
Lingering pain: Your tooth will respond variously to hot and cold foods and drinks. When you take either of the foods or drinks, do you feel some tingling pain? If so, how long does it last? A lingering pain will stick around. If the pain is non-lingering, the pulp could be alive to recover from the cold and hot, which indicates that the tissue can recover. Nonetheless, if your tooth remains sensitive for an hour or more after having a cold or hot drink, the nerve is possibly dead and that is why your tooth is not recovering.
Fistula Gum
A fistula gum will tell your dentist that your tooth is infected because there are infectious materials, pus, and blood trying to get out and your body is venting it. It can be challenging to identify the infected tooth because a fistula may not always go alongside the infected tooth.
Share25 January 2016
When I had my first child, I was a nervous wreck. Every book I read gave different advice, and I just wanted to be right! By the time I had my third child, some of the stress had abated. I now realised, there were tons of different perspectives on everything related to raising children including dentistry. To help parents, I have created this blog dedicated to unraveling dental myths about children. I am including posts that weigh both sides of issues such as thumb sucking, dental caries, breastfeeding, flossing and any other topic I can think of. I hope you find the information you need to unravel dental myths, but most importantly, I hope you find some peace of mind. With kids and dentistry, there can be more than one right answer, and I want you to be able to relax and go with the answer that's right for you.
