What should you do when your tooth hurts and the pain doesn’t subside after a day or two? There is a good chance that this prolonged discomfort could be linked to a dental infection, and treatment is crucial for keeping your smile whole. In today’s blog, your El Paso, TX, dentist talks about the warning signs of an infection and the benefits of a root canal.
The Causes of an Infected Tooth
How does a tooth develop an infection? This occurs when harmful oral bacteria come into contact with the pulp, the nerve center of your tooth. The contact could happen due to an untreated cavity that grows in severity with time, or even due to an injury to the tooth. Even teeth grinding could be a factor! Without treatment, the infection could eventually kill the pulp, so the tooth essentially dies. Extraction is then needed to stop the spread of infection, or the tooth could fall out on its own. To avoid tooth loss and serious discomfort, you need to see our team for treatment.
The Warning Signs of Trouble
How do you know when you have an infected tooth? Your general dentist could let you know during an exam, but there are also signs you should be aware of. For example, if you have tooth sensitivity or pain when you bite down or chew, you should let us know right away. The same goes for a toothache that doesn’t subside after a day or two. People with infected teeth could also experience pain in the face, jaw, or head, swelling near the tooth, or even a discharge from the tooth. Don’t ignore persistent pain in a tooth, talk to our team about a diagnostic exam to see if you need endodontic treatment, such as a root canal.
Help With a Root Canal
A root canal procedure allows our team to access and remove the infected tissues from the tooth. We then replace them with a special restorative filling and cap the tooth with a crown. The procedure stops discomfort and protects your tooth. If you have had an endodontic treatment in the past from another practice and the tooth begins to hurt again, we can offer retreatment. If you have an infection at the tip of the roots, we could offer a more precise root canal surgery known as apicoectomy. If you have any questions about how we help infected teeth with a root canal, or if you have an aching tooth that needs attention, then reach out to our team today.
Do You Have Questions About Root Canal Treatment?
Our team wants to help treat an aching tooth to keep your smile comfortable and whole. To schedule an appointment for an endodontic treatment with Omni Endo in El Paso, TX, please call 915.990.3636.