Root Canals: Need an Emergency Dentist?
Root canals can be an emergency – they are a painful infection in the nerve of a tooth.
For many people, it’s obvious when a root canal is needed. At the very least, they know that something serious is going on with their tooth. Pain or pressure in a particular tooth is one of the most common symptoms of root canal infection. For some, the pain is annoying; for others, it can be excruciating.
Whatever level of pain you’re experiencing, the problem remains the same. The nerve in your tooth is infected and should be removed. During the procedure, we remove the nerve from the canals inside your tooth, which is why it’s referred to as a “root canal.”
Why Root Canals Are Necessary?
Your tooth is covered by a hard, protective layer of dental enamel. When you develop an infection that penetrates the enamel, your tooth will start to decay. If we catch the decay quickly enough, a filling may be all that’s necessary to restore the health of your tooth.
But decay may become so severe that it allows bacteria to enter the soft pulp inside your tooth. Once this happens, it’s critical to remove the infected pulp and nerves to avoid losing the tooth.
You definitely need a root canal if the nerve of your tooth has an infection or if your tooth has begun decaying at the root tip. It may also be an injury or trauma that makes a root canal necessary. In order to keep your tooth functional and useful bacteria, nerves and decay need to be removed completely. Afterwards, all that’s left is the tissue, or pulp, which is still alive and thriving.
If a tooth is infected, why not just pull it out?
Extraction of a tooth with living pulp is a dangerous choice. Not only is it more expensive, a vacant space attracts more bacteria, and can cause a wide range of issues in neighboring teeth. Unless you re-infect it and require treatment, a root canal lasts for life.
Benefits of Root Canal Treatment
Most people who need a root canal just want the pain to go away, but there are definitely oral health benefits, too.
Eliminates Toothache Pain
Nerves located inside your teeth are designed to send sensation signals to your brain, like feeling cold and hot temperatures. When a tooth becomes infected, these same nerves send a pain signal to your brain and you get a toothache. Root canal treatment ends this pain since we remove the nerves sending the pain signals.
Preferred Alternative to Tooth Extraction
The purpose of a root canal is to save a tooth. We usually only perform this procedure if a tooth is seriously damaged. Repairing the tooth with a root canal is preferable to losing the tooth completely.
Keeping the tooth allows your jaw and teeth to maintain their proper position. This means your smile and your bite stay the same and you won’t have problems with the way your jaw functions.
Eliminates the Risk of Infection
A tooth that needs a root canal is almost always infected with bacteria. Without treatment, the bacteria can spread into the gums, travel to surrounding teeth, and cause other oral health problems.
How is a root canal done?
A safe, well-crafted root canal can be performed by a dentist or endodontist during a couple of sessions.
- your care provider will numb the gums around your decaying tooth
- he or she will wrap a rubber “dam” around it to seal off your saliva
- he or she will use highly specialized equipment to drill an opening in the top of your tooth and slide in root canal files
- the dentist will scrap out bacteria, pulp, nerve tissue and tooth decay
- the spotless tooth is sealed with a temporary filling
- about a week later he or she will fill the cavity of your tooth with state-of-the-art materials
- he or she will adhere a crown to the top of your tooth so you can use it again without breaking it
Comfortable, Caring Treatment
For you, the thought of root canal treatment may not be pleasant, but our team performs root canals that are efficient and stress-free. We’re sensitive to your concerns, and are here to do everything we can to make sure you’re comfortable during your procedure.
Root canals are an important treatment needed to eliminate pain and save your tooth. If you think you need a root canal, please contact our Chicago dental office as soon as possible. The sooner we can provide treatment, the better the odds are of avoiding tooth loss.
How do I know I need a root canal? Read about common signs and symptoms.