How Do You Know If You Need A Root Canal Treatment?
Before you know whether you need a root canal treatment or not, you must first be aware of why you’d need a root canal treatment in the first place. You need a root canal treatment when the innermost layer of your tooth, which is the pulp, is damaged or infected. This is a condition known as ‘pulpitis’.
You get pulpitis when you have left an abscess or infection in your tooth untreated for too long. The infection eventually finds its way beneath your tooth and into the pulp. Leaving pulpitis untreated for too long can lead to serious complications.
However, you’d be surprised to know that a significant number of people do not get to know about their pulpitis until the infection has advanced severely. There are only subtle symptoms that you can look for. However, some common symptoms of these might be trying to tell you that you do need a root canal treatment.
1. Mild to Severe Toothache
If you have pulpitis, you’re 90% likely to experience a toothache, whether mild or severe. You may have a toothache that doesn’t bother you at all, or you may have a toothache that doesn’t let you sleep at night.
However, a toothache can be caused due to numerous reasons. Thus, let this blog not make you jump to conclusions. Consult your dentist, instead.
2. Pimple on the Gums
Is there a pimple on your gums that doesn’t seem to heal itself? You might as well be having a concentration of small pimples in one region of your gums. This isn’t good, to say the least!
A pimple on the gums may indicate pulpitis or even minute bacterial contamination. Either way, it does indicate some sort of infection!
3. Heightened Sensitivity
The pulp of the tooth is responsible for harboring nerve tissues in the tooth. When the pulp gets infected, the nerve tissues get fragile. Thus, you may experience heightened sensitivity to hot, cold or even sweet food in one particular tooth of yours.
4. Swollen Lymph Nodes
Your lymph nodes release lymphatic fluids that fight off bacteria. When there’s serious bacterial contamination, these lymph nodes release fluids in plenty and become hyperactive. Subsequently, they swell up.
Once again, as you’d understand, your lymph nodes can swell up due to a number of infections in your body; not just due to pulpitis. However, swollen lymph nodes are indicative of something seriously wrong with your health and negligence could be really expensive in this situation.
5. Red and Swollen Gums
The gum tissues near one of your teeth may become swollen and red if you have pulpitis. This can even be a sign of gum disease. Like some of the symptoms listed, this is a symptom that must not be taken lightly as it indicates a serious underlying oral infection.
Understandably, no single symptom is a conclusive indication of pulpitis. However, each symptom does indicate an infection that must not be left untreated. Lastly, online research wouldn’t help you any better in figuring out if you do need a root canal therapy; that’s what dentists are for!
If you’re in Airdrie, AB, you can get the best endodontist near you for your expert consultation in just one click!
