When a tooth develops an infection due to a disease or facial trauma, a root canal may be necessary to preserve it. It’s important to pay attention to any oral pain you experience or unusual symptoms in your mouth as these could indicate an infection. You should contact Glendora Family Dentistry right away if you notice one or more these issues:
- Throbbing tooth pain
- Your pain increases when you drink a hot or cold beverage, bite into food, stand up, or lie down
- The painful tooth appears darker than the others
- Your face or neck feel swollen
- Chronic bad breath
- A small sac filled with pus forms on your gum line
When pus starts leaking from underneath the tooth, you have what dentists call an abscessed tooth. This condition is often quite painful and constitutes a dental emergency. Evaluating your symptoms promptly is essential to ensure that your dental problem doesn’t get worse. Occasionally, patients don’t have any pain or other issues at all when they have an infected tooth. That’s why good observation skills and regular dental check-ups are so important.
The Root Canal Procedure
At this point, you may be wondering, “What is a root canal?” We find that many people are uncertain about this procedure because they have heard false or conflicting information. One thing we would like to stress is that a root canal is not as bad as some people make it out to be. In fact, most of the information comes from people who have never actually had one. Those who have had a root canal are happy for it because it relieved their pain and other oral health problems.
Before Dr. Desai starts your root canal, he numbs the gums surrounding the affected tooth as well as the tooth itself. He then uses a special dental instrument to remove the infected pulp from inside of your tooth. Dr. Desai also cleans your tooth from the inside and places a sealant over it to discourage bacteria from invading again in the future. Lastly, he secures a dental crown over the tooth to ensure that it remains strong. This also enables you to chew normally without fear of weakening the tooth.
If you have additional questions about the root canal procedure, please contact Glendora Family Dentistry to schedule a consultation.
