subject: Fight An Infection In Your Tooth With Root Canal Therapy [print this page] Fight An Infection In Your Tooth With Root Canal Therapy
Often, when people think of root canal therapy they associate it with pain. The pain experienced is from the infected tooth, which is then relieved through root canal therapy. Known to restore and save an average of 17 million teeth each year, root canal therapy helps to keep your tooth and stop the pain, which is always better than having a tooth extraction. A root canal can also treat an infection that has developed into an abscessed tooth, which can relieve toothache, stop infection, and promote healing. What is Root Canal Therapy?Your tooth is made up of a hard protective shell called enamel, a softer middle layer called dentin and a soft tissue inner layer called dental pulp. Composed of nerve tissue, lymph tissue and blood vessels, the dental pulp is considered a vital part of your tooth. If your dental pulp is severely damaged, the tooth begins to die. Root canal therapy is often the best treatment to prevent and eliminate infection, preventing tooth loss. Root canal therapy allows dentists to save your teeth in the safest way possible and is used to find the cause and treat the problems of the dental pulp. The narrow channels beneath the pulp chamber in the inner part of your tooth are hollowed out and cleaned through root canal therapy and the roots are filled with materials that are designed to prevent pain and infection from recurring. Painful Toothaches Nerve fibers, blood, and lymph tissues are located in the root canals, and inside each tooth is a pulp chamber that funnels into those root canals. Your tooth can become inflamed or infected for several reasons including:* Severe tooth decay* Cracked tooth* Chipped tooth* Failing restorations such as a filling or crownOnce infected, the dental pulp begins to die and the body's inflammatory responses set in. The combination of infection and inflammation can cause significant pain, which results in a toothache.Signs and Symptoms you may Need Root Canal TherapyAt 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 radiographYour dentist or Endodontic Specialist on staff 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 West Covina Dentist or Montebello 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.
