Root canal when do i need

Brand Logo. All rights reserved. Terms Of Use. Privacy Policy. About Our Ads. Children's Privacy Policy. Sign up now. Search Box Clear. Want more tips and offers sent directly to your inbox? Products Categories Goals Brands. Our Commitment Our Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program brings oral health education to more than half a billion children around the world. Learn more about our commitment to oral health education. Badge field New. Do I Need a Root Canal?

Top Articles. A root canal is performed when the endodontist removes the infected pulp and nerve in the root of the tooth, cleans and shapes the inside of the root canal, then fills and seals the space.

Afterward, your dentist will place a crown on the tooth to protect and restore it to its original function. For the first few days after a root canal, some patients experience sensitivity, swelling, or inflammation, while others experience an uneven bite or a reaction to the medication provided by the endodontist. Regardless of symptoms, a follow-up appointment is almost always needed. A root canal does not kill the tooth, and after a root canal is complete, the tooth will be able to function as it normally does.

However, root canals do remove the nerves inside the tooth, but these nerves serve very little function in a fully formed tooth. If left untreated, the infection in the tooth can spread to other parts of the body, and in some cases can even be life threatening. If you are in need of a root canal, the infected pulp in the tooth needs to be removed.

There is absolutely no evidence that a root canal can cause cancer. In fact, a root canal is the only way to remove an infected tooth that could spread and cause serious disease or illness.

All claims that root canals cause cancer or other illnesses are complete myths. Unless told otherwise by your dentist or endodontist, brush and floss as you regularly would after a root canal treatment.

Sometimes after a root canal, the tooth can become slightly discolored or develop spots called intrinsic stains, where the tooth bleeds internally and the inner part of the tooth turns yellow or dark.

Luckily, the tooth can be whitened afterward through internal non-vital bleaching. Most root canals can be done in one to two appointments. The first appointment is the procedure itself when the infected pulp is removed. The second and maybe third appointment is when the root canal gets cleaned and filled with a crown or other filling to prevent infections.

Each appointment lasts roughly 90 minutes each. While you can smoke after a root canal it is not recommended as smoking increases the risk of needing another procedure. In fact, smokers are nearly twice as likely to need root canals than non-smokers, and that number increases with more years of smoking.

Most root canal procedures are done using local anesthesia, meaning only the areas that are being operated on will be numb during the course of the procedure. This means you are awake and aware during the process and can drive and operate machinery as you normally would immediately after the procedure is over.

While all general dentists have been trained in root canals, more often than not the procedure is done by an endodontist. Generally speaking, a dentist specializes in exterior teeth and gum health, an endodontist specializes in the health of the inside of the tooth. Waiting too long to get a root canal can oftentimes result in tooth loss. This generally occurs when the root of an infected tooth has gone untreated for so long that results in bone loss. Many times with severe furcation, it might be too late for a root canal and the tooth would need to be extracted.

You can eat normally before a root canal treatment, and most endodontists even allow patients to eat up to 1 hour before a procedure. However, as with all oral procedures, most endodontists prefer that you brush your teeth prior to the appointment. It is always better to maintain a healthy, natural smile whenever possible, and root canals allow for just that. Extracting and then replacing a tooth results in more treatments and procedures, and could even impact neighboring teeth and supporting gums.

If you've noticed that your gums are swollen it may be a sign of an infected tooth. Sometimes we can have inflamed gums after flossing or brushing too hard, this is different. The swollen gums will be tender and a bit painful to the touch and will remain swollen.

The darkening of the gums is a sign that the gums are decayed. If there is an infection and the tooth is dying, the gums will begin to decay. This is a telltale sign that you may need a root canal. A chipped or cracked tooth is a two-fold sign of a tooth that may need a root canal. For one, perhaps there was trauma on the tooth that created the chip or crack and has now caused inflamed or infected pulp. Secondly, the tooth may be so far decayed or infected that it is cracked or chipped from being dead.

Either way, you'll need likely a root canal to try to save the remainder of the tooth. If your gums are tender to the touch, or even without touch, you may have root canal pain.

An abscess is something that will be seen on an x-ray as a dark spot. It is basically a hole in the jawbone because bone won't grow around an infection. Your dentist should let you know if you have an abscess in your tooth during your regular dentist appointment and x-rays. You'll experience some minor discomfort the first few days after the endodontic treatment.

This is called a gum boil , parulis, or abscess. The pimple may ooze pus from the infection in the tooth. This can give you an unpleasant taste in your mouth and make your breath smell bad. If your tooth is sensitive when you touch it or when you eat, it could indicate severe tooth decay or nerve damage, which may need to be treated with a root canal.

The nerve can become inflamed and cause pain and sensitivity, which may require root canal treatment. If more than one tooth feels loose, the mobility is likely to have a cause other than an issue that may need a root canal. If you need a root canal and have facial swelling or a fever, your dentist may give you antibiotics beforehand to kill the infection.

This may also help reduce your pain. Your mouth will be numbed while the dentist cleans out the decay, disinfects the roots, and then fills them in. Your dentist will use a rubber dam around the root canal tooth. This will help prevent any infected material from spreading to the rest of your mouth. Your mouth may feel sore or tender after the root canal.

Your dentist may suggest that you take an over-the-counter pain medication such as acetaminophen Tylenol or ibuprofen Advil. A review of 72 studies of root canal patients looked at pre-treatment, treatment, and post-treatment pain. The analysis found that pre-treatment pain was high, but dropped moderately within a day of treatment, and then dropped substantially to minimal levels within a week.

To keep your teeth healthy, try to get into the habit of following these steps:. According to the AAE , re-treatment — meaning another root canal — is the best option to treat the pain and any other symptoms. Do you always need a crown if you have a root canal?