Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter, Florida
A root canal is a procedure used to treat the inside of a tooth, specifically when the tooth’s nerve becomes infected or inflamed. A tooth can become infected when bacteria contaminate the nerve. A root canal is essentially a deep filling in the tooth in which the entire nerve is removed, and then the chamber of the tooth is filled with a special filling material. Following a root canal treatment, a permanent crown is placed over the tooth to strengthen it and prevent the tooth from breaking.
- Reasons why you may need a root canal include:
- Old leaky filling
- Cracked or broken tooth
- Exposed nerve
- Tooth pain
- Infected tooth
How can I tell if I need a root canal?
The best way to determine if you need a root canal is to undergo a consultation with Dr. Benson. Usually, an X-ray is taken to confirm whether or not a tooth is infected because an infection is typically apparent at the apex (tip) of the tooth’s root. The apex area of the tooth can only be seen on an X-ray. Aside from a consultation, here are some symptoms that may indicate a root canal is in your future:
- Consistent tooth pain, often severe and not relieved by over-the-counter pain medications
- Pain when eating or drinking something cold
- Pain or sensitivity when biting or chewing
- Swelling of the face or neck
- Inflammation of the gums, specifically around a tooth’s root
- Drainage or puss that emits from the gum
Sometimes, patients require root canal therapy, even when no symptoms are present. For instance, if a patient has experienced trauma to the face, and a tooth appears to be gray in color, but no other teeth exhibit this problem, the nerve of the tooth may have died. In this case, there is no more blood supply to the tooth and the tooth will become brittle and susceptible to breaking. A root canal may be necessary to save the tooth from further damage.
A root canal is relatively simple and can help save your natural tooth from needing to be extracted. If you believe you may need a root canal, contact PGA Smiles today. We understand your concerns and are here to answer your questions. We welcome patients of Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter, Florida.