What is a root canal treatment?
A root canal is a painless dental procedure intended to remove oral discomfort and restore your tooth. One of the skilled dentists at Montrose Dental Group eliminates the bacteria and any dead or dying tissue from inside your tooth if it becomes severely infected. This way, they can save your tooth and help ease your pain.
What leads to an infection in the tooth root?
Roots and tissue inside your teeth can become infected with bacteria as a result of an injury to the tooth or from a cavity that is left untreated. The infected tissue can develop inside the pulp or root of your tooth if you neglect to go to the dentist. This can cause a host of other problems if the infection spreads any further, so be sure to seek treatment.
How can I recognize an infected tooth?
An infected tooth can cause pain very quickly, particularly if you don't address it soon enough. The usual symptoms of an infected tooth are:
- Inflamed gums
- Tooth soreness when eating and drinking
- Intense tooth sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures
- Bad breath
- Pus coming from around the tooth
- Painful throbbing in your jaw or mouth
- Darkening color of the tooth
- A small pimple-like bump on your gum
How does a root canal work?
Typically, one of the highly skilled dentists at Montrose Dental Group can take care of your tooth in one or two visits. You may first need X-rays so the dentist can judge the magnitude of damage to the tooth needing a root canal.
One of the dentists at Montrose Dental Group uses a needle to numb the region to make sure you don't feel anything during the procedure. Sometimes they put a dental dam, or a little piece of rubber, on your tooth to preserve its cleanliness and protect it from bacteria during the procedure. Once your tooth is anesthetized and you’re comfortable, the dentist makes a tiny cut in your tooth to reach the diseased area within the root.
After this, your dentist uses small files to remove the damaged and diseased pulp and irrigates the area with water to wash away any debris. Until you return for a permanent crown, your dentist either seals the tooth or applies a temporary filling. The team takes every precaution to keep you pain-free and comfortable during the entire procedure.
Call Montrose Dental Group if you show even a minor symptom or sign of tooth infection. It could be more serious than you think.
