Page 12 - Boyne Dental E-Mag

Root canal therapy is a treatment to repair and save a badly damaged or infected tooth. The proce-
dure involves removing the damaged area of the tooth (the pulp), cleaning and disinfecting it and
then filling and sealing it. The common causes affecting the pulp are a cracked tooth, a deep cavity,
repeated dental treatment to the tooth or trauma. The term "root canal" comes from cleaning of the
canals inside the tooth's root. People fear root canals because they assume they are painful. Actually,
most people report that the procedure itself is no more painful than having a filling placed. The discom-
fort experienced in the period leading up to seeking dental care is truly painful, not the procedure itself.

What Are the Signs That Root Canal Therapy Is Needed?

Signs you may need root canal therapy include:

Severe toothache pain upon chewing or application of pressure
 Prolonged sensitivity (pain) to hot or cold temperatures (after the heat or cold has been removed)

 Discoloration (darkening) of the tooth

 Swelling and tenderness in nearby gums

 A persistent or recurring pimple on the gums

Sometimes no symptoms are present. As the infection progresses, these symptoms often disappear
as the pulp dies. Your tooth then appears to have healed, but the infection has in fact spread
through the root canal system.

Further symptoms eventually occur, such as:

 pain when biting or chewing returning
 swelling of the gum near the affected tooth

 pus oozing from the affected tooth

 facial swelling
 the tooth becoming a darker colour

It's important to see your dentist if you develop toothache. If your tooth is infected, the pulp can't
heal by itself.

Leaving the infected tooth in your mouth may make it worse.