Root Canals
How a Tooth Gets Infected
Your tooth is made up of different layers of tissue meant to protect the inner tooth root. The pulp is a soft tissue found underneath the enamel and dentin, and it contains nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue.
It’s the “center of operation,” and it stimulates the growth of the tooth root when permanent teeth come in. Physical trauma and severe decay to a tooth will increase the risk of developing an infection in the pulp. Since a pulp is connected to sensitive tissue and nerves, patients usually experience pain when bacteria inflame or infect the pulp. In some cases, an infection causes an abscess—pocket of pus located at the top of an infected tooth’s root.
Root Canal Therapy: What’s the Procedure?
Did you know that millions of teeth are saved each year with root canal therapy? To relieve a patient’s pain and save the natural tooth, root canal therapy is needed. It removes infected tissue to stop the bacteria from spreading to the entire tooth. We clean the tooth’s inner chamber and restore the tooth to its original appearance.
It’s a highly successful treatment, and it’s the best alternative to extraction. Tooth loss will impact the facial structure and cause other dental issues. It’s very important to save the natural tooth or replace it with a dental implant or other restorative procedure to improve oral health.
Warning Signs of an Infected Tooth
Tooth infections aren’t enjoyable, by any means, so it’s important to identify warning signs of an infected tooth before it gets worse. Check out these common symptoms:
- Ongoing toothache or shooting pain
- Pain when putting chewing pressure on infected tooth
- Sensitivity to hot or cold food and beverages
- Gum irritation near an infected tooth
- Bitter taste and bad breath that you can’t get rid of
- Fever
Got more questions about root canals? Call Cox Family & Cosmetic Dentistry in Jasper, AL at (205) 384-4000.