Root canals , or endodontic treatments, can save your natural teeth when they are badly damaged or diseased. It’s a common misconception that root canals are painful, but in fact, root canals relieve your pain and save your healthy smile. If your dentist informs you that you may need a root canal, you can expect to have one to three dentist appointments to complete the procedure.
Reasons for Root Canals
No dentist enjoys extracting teeth that are decayed or damaged. It’s the mission of every dentist to salvage the natural tooth whenever possible, and root canals help dentists accomplish this goal. A root canal involves the removal of inflamed, infected, or damaged pulp from deep within the tooth. The pulp inside the tooth can become infected when bacteria invades the tooth through holes in the enamel. In other cases, the tooth sustains damage like chipping, cracking, or fracturing, which damages the pulp and allows bacteria to invade. When the inside of the tooth is affected like this, root canals are necessary to prevent further complications, such as increased pain and oral abscesses. A root canal can even prevent the possibility of a tooth extraction.
Signs of Damage or Disease
Not everyone who needs a root canal will experience obvious signs and symptoms of trauma within the tooth. This is one reason why it’s important to visit your dentist regularly for check-ups. When symptoms do occur, the most obvious one is tooth pain. Your toothache may range from mild to severe. The pain may worsen when you bite down or chew. You may also experience tooth sensitivity to extremes in temperature. Some patients may have a dark discoloration on the affected tooth. The gums near the affected tooth may become swollen and tender. If an oral abscess has already developed, there may be drainage of pus into the gums.
At Park 56 Dental, your comfort is our priority. We offer sedation dentistry services for patients who need to have a root canal in our NYC office. If you’ve been experiencing tooth pain, sensitivity, or swelling, give us a call right away at (646) 783-3529.