Having a severe tooth infection can be a serious source of discomfort and often will require root canal therapy in order to get you back on the path to good oral health. Root canal therapy is a great way to help preserve your natural teeth, and keep your mouth healthy and strong.
Before root canals became an option, having a severe tooth infection often meant the tooth would have to be extracted. Thankfully this is no longer the case, as simply having a tooth removed can have long lasting negative health effects on your overall oral health including jawbone deterioration and difficulty chewing food, among other issues.
With a root canal our caring staff will gently remove infected pulp from the problem tooth, and then clean out the harmful bacteria that may be lingering. After this process has been completed, they will carefully place antibiotic medicine in the formerly infected area, and then seal the tooth. Some teeth that receive this treatment will require a crown to help protect the treated tooth. Dr. Welch and his staff only use beautiful porcelain crowns that match your natural teeth.
Some potential warning signs that might mean you need a root canal can include:
Sensitivity | Sensitivity does not alway mean that you need a root canal, but it can be a sign of a tooth infection, especially extreme sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures.
Swelling | If the gums around your tooth are becoming tender or swollen, it can indicate you have a tooth infection that may require root canal therapy or other treatment.
Abscesses | An abscess will feel like a bump on your gums just above the potentially infected tooth. If you have an abscess you may need root canal therapy.
Severe, or Constant Chronic Toothaches | Having a severe and/or chronic toothache can indicate that your tooth is infected and might need root canal therapy.
If you have a combination of these symptoms, root canal therapy might be the best option. Please give us a call today if you have any questions about these symptoms or root canal therapy.
