At Cheadle Dental, we understand that root canal treatment is often met with dread. Although it might seem scary, learning about the reasons and how this procedure can save your teeth will help to calm your anxiety. In this blog, we explain why root canals are so important and discuss emergency care for situations that are not anticipated.
Why Root Canal Treatment is Necessary
Inside Your Tooth
To understand why a root canal might be needed, it helps to know a bit about tooth anatomy. Each tooth has a pulp chamber filled with nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue at its centre. Sometimes, the pulp can become infected or damaged, causing pain and other problems.
Dealing with Tooth Decay
An example of the most common cause of root canal is cavities. When cavities are very deep, they can reach the pulp and allow bacteria to go into the pulp. This can allow an infection to happen and can lead to pain, and if untreated can lead to an abscess (a painful, pus-filled area)
Handling Injuries
And sometimes a sports injury, or a bike accident, or a bad fall, will injure the pulp on the inside of the tooth, even if the outside still looks normal. In that case, the pulp can get inflamed or even infected, and a root canal will be needed to get rid of the damaged pulp and heal that part of the tooth.
Problems with Deep Fillings
Usually, deep fillings to treat cavities do not need to be taken out; however, if the filling is too close to the pulp, it might irritate or inflame the pulp, in which case a root canal might be needed to fix the problem.
Repeated Dental Work
Teeth that have had many treatments, such as multiple fillings, can weaken over time. This makes it easier for bacteria to reach the pulp, often making a root canal necessary to save the tooth.
Cracked or Fractured Teeth
A root canal can be needed even if there’s nothing visible wrong with a tooth – bacteria can seep into microscopic cracks and irritate the tissue’s pulp, even if the crack has no visible sign.
Preventing Abscesses
If one does not receive a root canal, the infection can spread into an abscess that may lead to a host of complications.
Emergency Root Canal Treatment
Emergencies can happen unexpectedly, and so severe pain or trauma can take you by surprise and need quick action. At Cheadle Dental, our highly experienced team can provide emergency root canal treatment to quickly treat urgent cases and provide relief from pain and discomfort.
Recognising the Symptoms
If you have a persistent toothache, sensitivity to hot or cold, swelling or tooth discoloration, you might need a root canal. An X-ray and thorough examination are done to see if you might need a root canal at Cheadle Dental.
We’re Here to Help
At Cheadle Dental, we prioritise your oral health and understand that root canals can be intimidating. We want to help you maintain your oral health and we care about your comfort. Root canals are a sensitive topic for many of our patients. If you have any dental pain or a dental emergency, please call us right away so that we can help you get the care you need to save your teeth.