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Tooth
decay, trauma or cracks can cause the nerves of teeth
to die. When this occurs your tooth can often still
be saved with root canal therapy. Severe pain, swelling,
sensitivity to hot or cold, or a darkening tooth, are
signs that a root canal problem exists.
The
purpose of root canal therapy
is to eliminate tooth pain.
Symptoms
that might indicate the need for root canal therapy
include: 1) significant, constant pain, including pain
that can wake you up at night, 2) increased symptoms
specifically when you lie down, 3) significant sensitivity
to hot or cold, 4) pain upon chewing on that tooth,
5) a darkening of the color of only one tooth, or, 6)
the appearance of a pimple or fistula in the gum.
A
tooth might need root canal therapy even in the absence
of any pain . This can occur if the damage to
the nerve is so severe that all sensation of pain is
lost. Root canal therapy may still be indicated to prevent
the spread of infection, asymptomatically, in the surrounding
jawbone.
The
two main objectives of root canal therapy are: 1) to
clean out diseased tissue and bacteria from within the
tooth and 2) to completely fill the internal hollow
root. There are many techniques and materials available
to accomplish this. Some of these techniques allow the
dentist to quickly, yet incompletely, fill the internal
hollow root and can be the cause of future problems.
It's better to get something done right the first time.
Root
canal therapy is NOT painful
when properly performed in a tooth that has not yet
reached the point of becoming a painful emergency. Some
people mistakenly wait until they have severe pain before
seeking root canal therapy. They are the cause of the
pain, not the procedure itself. An important lesson
is therefore to seek out root canal therapy if you think
a tooth is becoming more symptomatic; don't wait for
the emergency.
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