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Is your tooth painful and unbearable? With root canal therapy your pain and infection can be completely eliminated. Commonly associated with being a painful procedure, root canal therapy actually helps to relieve your pain and restore your teeth. On average, 17 million teeth each year are restored and saved due to root canal therapy. When your dental pulp becomes infected due to a deep cavity, bacteria find a way to seep into your tooth, causing the pulp to die. Root canal therapy is a very common procedure, performed to save your teeth and protect your mouth. Avoid a tooth extraction; keep your tooth and stop the pain with root canal therapy. What is Root Canal Therapy? Also referred to as endodontic treatment, root canal therapy is a dental procedure that is used to remove diseased pulp tissue from the interior of the tooth. During the procedure, the nerve and pulp are removed in order to clean and seal the inside of the tooth. Without proper treatment, the tissue surrounding the tooth can become infected and form abscesses. The root canal is the natural cavity within the center of your tooth and the pulp is the soft area within the root canal. Your tooth is disinfected and all debris are removed from the coronal pulp chamber and its associated canals. Once the tooth's canals are properly cleansed and shaped, they are filled with materials that are designed to prevent pain and infection from recurring. This may be where the common misconception lies. Rather than causing the pain in your tooth, root canal therapy is actually eliminating it and preventing any further pain or infection. Signs and Symptoms you may Need Root Canal Therapy At first, if you have an infection of the pulp, you may not feel any pain. If the infection is left untreated, it will cause pain and swelling, with some cases forming an abscess. You may need root canal therapy if your tooth: • Hurts when you bite down on it, touch it or push on it
• Is sensitive to heat or cold for more than a couple of seconds
• Has swelling and irritation in the surrounding gum tissue
• Is discolored
• Is broken
• Shows signs of infection visible on a radiograph Your dentist will recommend a root canal in situations like these in order to save the affected tooth and preserve its functionality. Root canal therapy can be performed in one or more visits, depending on the situation. An uncomplicated root canal therapy can often be completed in one visit, while teeth that are more difficult to treat because of their location may take longer to treat. If you are exhibiting pain in one tooth or multiple teeth, it is important to visit your Arlington Heights dentist for consultation and assessment of your teeth. Without treatment, your infection could spread and the bone around the tooth can begin to degenerate causing the tooth to fall out. Consult your dentist immediately to put an end to your tooth pain.
Sean Hartmen writes for Dr. Meena Barsoum of Impressive Smiles, an experienced Arlington Heights cosmetic dentist. Specializing in most phases of dentistry, including teeth whitening, implants and veneers in Arlington Heights, Dr. Barsoum is highly qualified to handle the dental needs for patients of every age.
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