When a tooth becomes decayed or infected, a dentist may need to perform root canal therapy to clean the area and prevent the need for tooth extraction. If you’re concerned about your oral health, here’s a list of signs indicating you may need to visit your dental office for a root canal. 

How to Tell if You Need a Root Canal

1. Sensitivity to Hot & Cold

One of the first signs that a tooth might be heading down the path to needing a root canal is sharp, intense pain when you consume hot or cold foods such as coffee, tea, iced drinks, or ice cream. Tooth decay creates a hole in the tooth that allows the hot or cold to get in to the already irritated nerve more easily.  If treated at this stage the tooth may be able to recover without needing a root canal.

2. Chipped or Cracked Tooth

When a tooth is damaged due to physical trauma, grinding of the teeth, or eating hard foods, bacteria can quickly spread to the tooth’s interior nerve endings, causing pain and discomfort. In this situation, immediate dental attention to treat the tooth is recommended to stop the pain and prevent an infection from spreading further.

3. Toothache

When long standing decay reaches the nerves inside the tooth, it causes inflammation and irritation to set in.  You’ll experience sharp pain or discomfort that may start out intermittently, but will progress in frequency and duration. When the decay becomes severe enough to irreversibly damage the nerves, the tooth will become infected.  The throbbing ache from an infection will continue to increase until the tooth is treated.

4. Swollen Gums

An infection that starts inside the tooth will spread outside the root.  When this occurs the gums can become swollen.  An tooth abcess can become life threatening if not treated.  Even if you are not experiencing any pain or discomfort, if you have a bump or blister on the gums do not put off seeing the dentist, it could be a sign of a larger problem.

Are you experiencing any of the symptoms noted above? If so, the dedicated team at Keen Dental Care is ready to provide effective root canal therapy. Conveniently located in Columbia, MO, residents across Boone County depend on this state-of-the-art dentist office for preventative and restorative dentistry services. To schedule an appointment, call today at (573) 875-5336. For more information on their commitment to personalized care to ensure lifelong oral health, visit their website.