But how will you know if you need root canal treatment? If you haven’t visited the dentist yet, there are some signs you may experience on your own. On the other hand, there are symptoms that only your dentist can determine.
Noticeable Root Canal Treatment Symptoms
Signs that you may notice and experience:
- Pain – the intensity of the tooth pain caused by infected pulp can go from slight to extreme. Sometimes, you may feel that the infected tooth has its own heartbeat. It can also be easily provoked by exposure to hot or cold foods. Your sleep may also be affected due to intense pain. The pain may also linger for some minutes or last for several hours.
- Tender or swollen gums – swelling of gums can occur sometimes on an infected tooth. The area may be slightly tender or form a noticeable lump, which can be actually felt. The tooth may also feel rather elevated due to swelling. Instead of a prominent swelling, a gumboil may form on the gums.
- Frequency – the signs and symptoms mentioned above can be described as transient, persistent and continual. If the pain or swelling comes and goes on a daily or monthly basis, this is a transient symptom. When the symptoms never completely fade, they are persistent or continual.
Symptoms Identified by the Dentist
Signs that only your dentist can determine:
- Issues identified by x-ray – if your tooth is infected, the x-ray will reveal a dark spot located at the tip of the roots of the tooth. This indication is called radiolucency, which shows that changes have occurred caused by the infection developing inside the tooth.
- Persistent gum pimples – pimple-like gum lesions are mostly caused by an infection inside a tooth. These lesions are called lesions fistulous tracts in medical term. Over time, their size can increase and decrease. Gum lesions served as drain for pus; thus, they often have disgusting taste coming from them.
- Darkened tooth – if your tooth has some changes in its colour, turning slightly darker than the other healthy teeth, then it indicates that there are issues in its nerve space. This indication is often the main reason your dentist will decide to perform root canal treatment.
- Exposed tooth’s nerve – losing your dental work such as a filling or a crown, can result in exposed tooth nerve. You may feel an intense pain when air and hot or cold substances reach the uncovered part of the tooth. That is why dental professionals may recommend root canal treatment when you have exposed tooth nerve in order to avoid painful or complicated scenarios in the future.
Pain and Root Canal Treatment
The purpose of root canal treatment is to remove the infection thereby eliminating the pain that brought you discomfort and agony. The procedure involves removal of infected nerve and pulp tissue of the affected tooth. Many dental patients dread root canal treatment as it has received a misleading reputation for pain.
The pain following the treatment is less than leaving the affected tooth and infection untreated. If you have dental fear or are concerned about the pain, discuss your fears with your dentist. They may use methods to lessen your anxiety and discomfort. With the latest technology in dentistry, dentists are able to perform root canal treatment virtually pain-free.
Reliable Root Canal Treatment in Toorak
At Simply Smiles Dental, we think of root canal therapy as washing the invasive bacteria out of the root, filling it with a biocompatible material that soothes the area, and then sealing it back up again. Top it off with a solid filling or a crown, and you’re as good as new. That means you get to keep your tooth. And that’s a good thing. For more information about how we can help you with your root canal problems, visit Simply Smiles Dental today!
We are located in the Toorak Village, in the heart of Toorak and serve patients from Toorak, South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, Southbank, South Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Malvern, Albert Park, Melbourne CBD, and from all Melbourne metro areas.
We are Medibank Members Choice Dentist and HCF Members Choice Dentist.
Don’t miss our latest dental offers. Contact us on (03) 9826 2220 or request appointment online. We offer FREE Teeth Whitening and Dental Implant Consultation. Bulk Bill Child Benefit Schedule Up to $1,000.
