Root canal therapy is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or infected. Root canal therapy is performed when the pulp which is composed of nerves and blood vessels in the tooth becomes infected or damaged.
Root canal treatment is needed when dental X-rays show that the pulp has been damaged by a bacterial infection. The pulp may become inflamed if it's infected by bacteria, allowing the bacteria to multiply and spread. The symptoms of a pulp infection include: pain when eating or drinking hot or cold food and drink.
The antibiotic helps stop the infection from spreading and reduces swelling before your root canal. Both issues can also impact the effectiveness of the local anesthetic. If the infection is severe, it will not allow it to properly numb the area, which could make your procedure extremely painful.
Root Canals Aren't Possible with Severe Infection
If the deepest layers of the pulp become infected, it may be too late to save the tooth. In addition, if a large portion of the tooth is lost and a crown cannot be placed on what's left, root canal treatment is no longer a viable solution.
Sometimes antibiotics will be given, not because they can heal the situation completely, but because they can at least help with keeping an infection from worsening. But ultimately, removing the bacteria at its source through root canal therapy is going to be the best option.
Doing the root canal can help in draining the abscess and be the determining factor of saving the tooth. A dentist completes this by drilling into the tooth and removing the bacteria-filled area. After ensuring that the abscess is drained and clear, the dentist will perform the seal.
If you have an infected tooth, root canal therapy can likely repair the tooth. To get started, schedule an appointment with a dentist for a consultation. Request an appointment here: https://joyfuldentalcare.com or call Joyful Dental Care at (773) 786-9560 for an appointment in our Chicago office.
If you wait to have a root canal, you're only providing that infection more time to gain strength and spread. Infection can spread from the tooth into the bloodstream, and then you have a much more serious issue than a common and routine dental practice.
While the patient may no longer feel pain, the infection will still be present inside the tooth. Left untreated, the bacterial infection can spread to your jaw, your brain, your blood, and your body.
Tooth Loss
The main purpose of root canal is to remove the decaying or infected part of the tooth and then cleaning and sealing it to prevent any further decay or infection. If this process is delayed, the tooth can not only become more infected but can also result in loss of the entire tooth.
Avoid hard, chewy, spicy, and crunchy foods as they can disturb or irritate the treated area. Avoid hot foods and beverages. They can increase soreness or pain around the treated area. Limit sugary items as they can encourage infections around the treated tooth.
Amoxicillin is usually the first choice for tooth infection treatment. If your tooth infection is more serious, your dentist may prescribe a combination of amoxicillin and another drug called Clavulanate. This combination is stronger and more effective against tooth infections.
Persistent headaches, jaw aches, or earaches. Noticeable and uncomfortable facial swelling. Dizziness. Chills or high fever.
Antibiotics are sometimes used with endodontic treatment in cases where fever, swelling, or pain occur. Endodontists might also prescribe antibiotics before root canals if patients have a risk of developing a complication known as infective endocarditis.
When performing root canals, dentists administer anesthesia in your mouth besides providing antianxiety medications. These medications can have adverse effects on alcohol and tobacco. Therefore the Youngtown dentist recommends not to use alcohol or smoking for at least 24 hours before the procedure.
In short, when you need a root canal, it may feel like throbbing pain due to infection inside of the root of your tooth. A visible fistula, swelling, or temperature sensitivity might be present. Bacteria can also lead to foul-tasting drainage along the gum tissue near your root.
You sleep through the procedure, and wake up with no memory of it. Patients who choose to have a root canal with anesthesia delivered via I.V. will not feel anything during the procedure. Plus, they do not remember the endodontist and team talking or the sound of the dental equipment used.
Not a good idea. Waiting to have one of your damaged teeth treated can result in ultimately losing the tooth. Root canals are performed as a last resort treatment option, a necessary procedure to ensure that your tooth is saved vs. losing it forever.
You must undergo a root canal within a few weeks to fully eliminate the infection and save your tooth. In general, a root canal typically takes about two hours to complete, but it can require subsequent visits depending on the severity of the damage.
If you delay root canal treatment, the oral infection continues to get worse, and it can even lead to a very serious condition called septicemia — when the localized infection from your tooth spreads through your body. This can quickly become a dangerous health situation that you want to avoid at all costs.
The most common endodontic surgical procedure is an apicoectomy, or root-end resection. This procedure relieves the inflammation or infection in the bony area around the end of your tooth. In this procedure, the gum tissue is opened, the infected tissue is removed, and sometimes the very end of the root is removed.
Some dentists prefer to give patients antibiotics before they will do any type of extraction. Although you may not have an abscess, most dentists prefer to get rid of the infection before they start doing their work.
Dentists will treat a tooth abscess by draining it and getting rid of the infection. They may be able to save your tooth with a root canal treatment. But in some cases the tooth may need to be pulled. Leaving a tooth abscess untreated can lead to serious, even life-threatening, complications.