How Can You Tell If You Need A Root Canal?
Posted on: 13 January 2016
If you need a root canal, your dentist will see the signs more clearly than you will. However, there may be some warning signs that you'll be able to identify on your own. Knowing the signs of needing a root canal and what to do about it can help you take care of your teeth.
How can you tell if you need a root canal?
If you need a root canal, you'll probably notice some of the following symptoms:
- Sensitivity in the tooth. Your tooth will be more sensitive to hot and cold than it used to be.
- Pain. The pain in your tooth may get better and worse depending on your activities. The pain may feel dull or sharp. It may feel worse when you're lying down, or when you're positioned on one side. The pain may feel better when standing up, or when you're not eating or drinking. You may also notice that it's hard to tell which tooth and which area of the mouth the pain is coming from.
- Your tooth is changing color. The color of the tooth may become darker (more brown, blue or purple).
- Swelling in the gums. The gums may become sore in the area around the affected tooth.
- A whitish bump above the tooth. This bump may ooze puss, which will have a bad taste.
If your dentist decides you need a root canal, what will happen?
If your dentist decides that you need a root canal, first you'll get some anesthetic so you won't feel pain. Next, your dentist will use his or her instruments to dig a small hole in your tooth and pull out the decayed insides. After that, your dentist may put a temporary filling on your tooth, or your dentist may leave the hole open for drainage. Then your dentist will send you home for a few days. At your next appointment, your dentist will fill the tooth and put a crown on it.
Will anyone be able to tell that your tooth had a root canal?
After your root canal is finished, your tooth will look just as natural as it did before, if not more so. The crown on your tooth will be colored to look like your tooth and will be the same shape as the former tooth. Once the root canal is over, no one should be able to tell that you once had a root canal done. For more information about root canals, consider contacting a professional like those at Dodson Endodontics.
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