Lingering pain or sensitivity after eating cold or hot foods? Swollen gums around your aching tooth? These are tell-tale signs that infection has damaged your tooth pulp. Without treatment, dental infection worsens your pain, causes widespread infection, and, in worst cases, the tooth may need extraction.
Are you experiencing signs of tooth infection in Montrose, California? Don’t tolerate pain any longer. Instead, schedule an appointment with Glendale Dental Wellness “near me.”Dr. Ivan Chan is trained and experienced in offering root canal treatments to save infected teeth from extraction.
Signs that you need a root canal
When you schedule routine exams with our office, our team will detect dental problems before the need for a root canal arises. However, sometimes problems can develop before your regular check-up, so it’s essential to know the warning signs to seek treatment immediately.
Visit a root canal dentist when you experience the signs below:
- Severe tooth pain
- Tooth sensitivity, especially when consuming hot or cold foods
- A recurring pimple-like swelling on the gums
- Chronic bad breath despite good oral hygiene
- Swollen gums or cheeks
- Tooth discoloration (an infected tooth darkens as the pulp tissue dies off)
When you suspect a dental infection, visit a dentist immediately before it’s too late. While root canal therapy can save teeth, it only does so within a specific timeframe. Delaying treatment allows the infection to spread deeper into the tooth and the nearby structures, leaving extraction the only viable treatment.
Understanding the root canal procedure
Contrary to common misconceptions, a root canal is not a painful procedure. Rather than causing pain, a root canal is designed to alleviate tooth pain. Any discomfort you may encounter is typically due to the lingering dental infection, not the procedure itself.
Before treatment, we’ll precisely anesthetize your tooth to minimize discomfort – you’ll only experience slight pressure during treatment. Once you’re comfortable, the dentist will isolate your tooth with a dental dam to prevent saliva contaminating the treatment area. Next, we’ll create a small access hole at the topmost part of the tooth, allowing us to flush out the diseased pulp through this opening.
Within the same hole, the dentist will thoroughly clean and sterilize the inside of the tooth to remove all traces of infection. Don’t worry! Your mouth will still be numb during this procedure, so you won’t feel any pain.
After thoroughly cleaning your tooth, the dentist will fill the empty chamber with a rubber-like material (gutta-percha) to seal out future infections. Finally, we’ll seal the access hole with a dental filling/ temporary crown until you get a permanent crown.
Post-treatment tips after a root canal
After your root canal treatment, mild pain, soreness, and swelling are normal, but these discomforts are easily manageable. Observe the tips below for an event-free recovery.
- Avoid eating for about one hour to allow the filling to settle in place. This also allows the anesthesia to wear off to avoid biting the tongue or lips
- If you are given antibiotics, complete the entire dosage as directed
- Take pain medication as needed
- Apply a cold compress on the cheek to minimize pain and swelling
- Keep the treatment area bacteria-free by brushing and flossing
- Contact your dentist if you spot signs of infection, such as increasing pain, swelling, or discharge
Root Canal Treatment Near Me
A root canal procedure in our office relieves pain, saves your natural tooth, and prevents the infection from spreading to the adjacent structures. After a root canal, you’ll live a comfortable and functional life without tooth pain or diminished chewing ability.
Ready for a root canal in Montrose, CA? Dial 818-243-3838 to schedule an appointment with Glendale Dental Wellness.
