Dental
Do I Need an Emergency Root Canal?
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Apr 14, 2021 - 7:15:41 AM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Damaged or infected teeth can cause significant pain. It may be hard to talk or chew with a badly damaged tooth. In rare cases, an extraction is necessary to treat infection and provide relief. In most cases, an emergency root canal can save the tooth.

Root canals have developed a reputation for being among the most painful dental procedures, but this isn’t necessarily true. After a root canal, you’ll leave the dentist’s office feeling better than you did when you came in.

Signs You Need an Emergency Root Canal

Pain is usually the first time that an emergency root canal is necessary, unless that pain is in a wisdom tooth. Wisdom teeth aren’t necessary for a healthy mouth. If your wisdom tooth hurts, is decaying, is infected, or is causing problems to the surrounding teeth, it should be taken out. Root canals are a valuable procedure for any other type of tooth.

If your tooth is discolored, visibly damaged or decaying, extremely sensitive to hot or cold temperatures, or otherwise causing you pain, a root canal can stop sensitivity, repair decay, fix the appearance of the tooth, and end the pain you’re experiencing.

Why is a Root Canal Better Than an Extraction?

An extraction is a traumatic procedure that requires some kind of a follow up procedure. Removing a necessary tooth involves replacing that tooth in some way. A dental implant or a bridge can be used to replace a tooth that has been extracted. A great dentist can avoid the need for multiple different procedures simply by restoring the affected tooth to its healthy state.

A natural tooth requires less special maintenance than an artificial tooth. It will respond to the same kinds of toothpastes. It can receive whitening treatments. The tooth itself won’t need to be replaced over time, especially if it’s properly taken care of.

What Happens During a Root Canal?

A dentist’s goal should always be to restore and preserve your teeth and to cause as little trauma as possible. The first step of a root canal is an x-ray with an exam. Your dentist needs to know exactly what’s going on in order to form an effective treatment plan.

The entire treatment area is numbed, and the tooth is prepped for the root canal. Your dentist will create a small hole in the top of your tooth and remove the soft material, called dentin, from the inside of the tooth. Removing the infected tissue helps to mitigate the problem. Your dentist will also prescribe antibiotics if needed to assure the infection is properly resolved.

When the infected tissue is removed, the roots of the tooth are filled with a special adhesive, and the hollow of the tooth is packed with a permanent dental material. The top of the tooth will be closed with a core filling material and a temporary crown until the next appointment.

A couple weeks later, your dentist will place a permanent filling on the tooth or install a permanent crown. Crowns are necessary if decay has substantially changed the biting surface of the tooth. Restoration of the biting surface with a crown allows the tooth to function as a healthy tooth would.

Are Root Canals Painful?

The appropriate section of your mouth is completely numbed during a root canal. Numbing injections act very quickly, and you’ll begin to feel relief from your tooth pain within a matter of seconds. You’ll be able to talk to your dentist and use your mouth normally, but you will experience absolutely no sensation on the side of your mouth where the root canal is going to be performed.

This numbness may last for a few hours after your procedure, and your dentist may send you home with a prescription for medication to treat any pain. If you fill your prescriptions and take your medications immediately, they may begin to work before your numbing injections wear off.

When the sensation returns to your mouth, the part of your tooth causing the pain will have been removed. It’s normal to have some slight soreness after a root canal, but that soreness hurts much less than the pain of a damaged or infected tooth.

In short, everything gets better the moment your dentist gives you the first numbing injection. It never hurts as bad as it did before you sought treatment. You’ll only progressively feel better.

Where Do I Go For a Root Canal?

A root canal should be performed by an experience dentist that knows how to provide the best results for each patient. If you’re seeking an emergency root canal in Tucson, Arizona, we invite you to contact us at First Dental Center office of Kimberly Yang. We’re able to save nearly every tooth, especially if patients seek treatment at the first symptoms of pain or decay. The sooner you call, the sooner you’ll feel better.