Root canal Tips

Most common sign 
Indicating you might need a root canal treatment.
1. Severe pain 
2.Discoloration of tooth 
3. Swelling 
4. Persistent gum pimple 
5. Prolong sensitivity to hot and cold 
6. Difficulty in chewing.​

When a small cavity isn-  t treated in time, the tooth may get so badly decayed that normal filling cannot solve the problem. In such cases, your dentist will probably advise you to have a root canal. When performing a root canal, the dentist will remove the nerves and pulp within the tooth, clean the inside of the tooth and seal it. After this procedure your tooth will not sense anything and should be pain free.

However in some cases, you may still experience pain after a root canal. There are four main causes of this pain.

Swelling of ligament around the tooth

One of the signs that you need a root canal is swelling of the gums. Even after the nerves and pulp within the tooth are removed, the ligaments around the infected tooth may still be swollen. This can take some time before the tissue is normal again. In most cases this is the cause for pain after a root canal procedure.   

Damaged tissue

Part of the root canal procedure is to clean the insides of the tooth. Here the dentist must be very careful to not go beyond the tooth. In some cases the file used to clean the tooth may go beyond the root and damage the tissue there. Another possibility is that the sealant used to fill the tooth may go beyond the root thus aggravating the tissue. This can take some time to heal and can cause pain.

Excess filling

After the tooth has been cleaned, the dentist fills the tooth with a sealant. If excessive sealant is filled in the tooth, it may become taller than the surrounding teeth. This makes you hit that tooth first when you close your jaw and puts extra pressure on it resulting in soreness and pain. Your dentists will need to remove the excess sealant to resolve this issue.

Phantom pain
 

Phantom pain is rare when it comes to root canals. This occurs when the nerve leading upto the tooth still behaves like it were connected to the tooth despite the nerve within the tooth being completely removed. The peripheral nerves will need to be treated to resolve this issue.
In most cases these events cannot be prevented. There is also no reason to expect that this is a symptom of your root canal being a failure. Stay in touch with your dentist and brush and floss your teeth regularly. You will soon notice the pain subsiding.

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. 
During root canal therapy, the pulp is removed, and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed.
It's important to understand the signs and symptoms and plan your dental appointment soon.
 

Even after the RCT is complete, patients must visit their endodontists or dentists to get the proper restorative work completed on the tooth.

Having your dentist tell you that you need a root canal, can be a daunting affair. This means that the pulp or soft tissue inside a tooth has been damaged by bacterial infection. A root canal involves removing the damaged pulp, cleaning the infection and filling in the emptied space. Not every tooth infection requires a root canal and hence it is essential to know the indication of a root canal.

Here are a few situations when a root canal may be needed:

Pain

Discomfort ranging from a dull ache to a sharp pain can be a sign that you need root canal treatment. This type of pain is usually characterized by throbbing and may change as you switch positions. It is usually triggered by chewing, applying pressure on the tooth or eating something cold or hot. In some cases, the patient may not be able to indicate the exact tooth that is hurting but can only identify the painful area. 

Gum tenderness

Swelling that indicates the need of root canal treatment can range from being slightly red and inflamed to pronounced lumps on the gums. In some extreme cases, this swelling may extend out of the gums into the face and neck region. Sometimes, a pus filled boil with a pimple like head may also form on the gums. If this head bursts, the patient may notice a foul taste in the mouth. This swelling can come and go as the tooth decay deteriorates and may or may not be accompanied by pain. Teeth may also feel like they have been pushed out of their sockets and are taller than usual. 

Tooth discolouration

Discolouring of teeth can be a sign of internal tooth damage. This is especially noted if the teeth take on a dark yellow, grey or blackish tint. Tooth discolouration is fairly common in cases where the tooth has undergone trauma such as an accident etc. 

Exposure of the dental nerves

At times during regular dental work, the nerves in the tooth may be exposed. This indicates an exposure of pulp tissue and can trigger pulp degeneration if left untreated. 

However, all of the above symptoms can be symptoms of other types of dental problems as well and do not necessarily individually indicate the need for a root canal. Only a dentist can properly diagnose a need for root canal treatment after a physical examination and testing.

Root Canal Treatment!

When a small cavity isn't treated in time, the tooth may get so badly decayed that normal filling cannot solve the problem. In such cases, your dentist will probably advise you to have a root canal. When performing a root canal, the dentist will remove the nerves and pulp within the tooth, clean the inside of the tooth and seal it. After this procedure your tooth will not sense anything and should be pain free. However in some cases, you may still experience pain after a root canal. There are four main causes of this pain.

Swelling of ligament around the tooth
One of the signs that you need a root canal is swelling of the gums. Even after the nerves and pulp within the tooth are removed, the ligaments around the infected tooth may still be swollen. This can take some time before the tissue is normal again. In most cases this is the cause for pain after a root canal procedure.   

Damaged tissue
Part of the root canal procedure is to clean the insides of the tooth. Here the dentist must be very careful to not go beyond the tooth. In some cases the file used to clean the tooth may go beyond the root and damage the tissue there. Another possibility is that the sealant used to fill the tooth may go beyond the root thus aggravating the tissue. This can take some time to heal and can cause pain.

Excess filling
After the tooth has been cleaned, the dentist fills the tooth with a sealant. If excessive sealant is filled in the tooth, it may become taller than the surrounding teeth. This makes you hit that tooth first when you close your jaw and puts extra pressure on it resulting in soreness and pain. Your dentists will need to remove the excess sealant to resolve this issue.

Phantom pain
Phantom pain is rare when it comes to root canals. This occurs when the nerve leading upto the tooth still behaves like it were connected to the tooth despite the nerve within the tooth being completely removed. The peripheral nerves will need to be treated to resolve this issue.

In most cases these events cannot be prevented. There is also no reason to expect that this is a symptom of your root canal being a failure. Stay in touch with your dentist and brush and floss your teeth regularly. You will soon notice the pain subsiding.

Whether the question is based on cost or time or your health, a root canal is always the best option (not better) as long as your teeth are in a condition to be saved by a root canal procedure. Even a costly and advanced treatment procedure such as a dental implant treatment cannot wholly replicate the function of a natural tooth. So, better save your own teeth.

And regarding the cost of treatment, the price of tooth extraction may be less, but when you add up the cost of replacement teeth with either an implant or a bridge, the cost becomes much more than a root canal followed by a crown.
And you can't leave a lost space without replacing with an artificial tooth as it may lead to a variety of problems. 

Tobacco has many ill effects on the health and dental health is one of them. From dark stains to poor gum health to increased incidence of decay to the more severe oral cancer, tobacco has a very detrimental effect on your dental health. Read on know more about how harmful tobacco can be on the dental system.

1. Brown teeth and tongue: One of the tell-tale signs of a smoker are the brown teeth and stained tongue. A dentist need not even be told that the person smokes, it just shows!! What is interesting is that these stains do not go away with a scaling, they just continue to form as long as tobacco is being put into the system.
2. Gum disease: The oral health of a smoker is definitely not at its best. With the stains on the teeth, the gums are more prone for irritation and infection. This leads to grayish, unhealthy gums. The periodontal fibers are also affected, leading to bad breath, pocket formation and even tooth mobility in severe cases. The mouth is generally drier in comparison and so bacterial growth is more favored, further accelerating the process of gum disease and teeth decay.
3. Dental caries: The increased amount of bacteria leads to greater incidence of dental decay. Chances of cervical decay (around the gum line) and root decay are higher in smokers.
4. Bad breath: There are two reasons to it one is the tobacco per se and the second is the dry mouth, which leads to reduced saliva and increased bacterial growth.
5. Impaired taste: The tongue has a constant coating too, leaving the taste buds unable to completely taste food substances. Ask any smoker a couple of questions and you would realize how they never get to enjoy and taste the food as it should be.
6. Poor healing: Whether it is a gum disease, a tooth removal or a root canal therapy, smokers who go for dental treatment need a longer time to respond compared to nonsmokers. If smoking is continued at the same pace, then the chances of developing a dry socket with an extraction or a failed root canal therapy are quite high. There are more failures reported in success of implant in smokers as compared to non smokers.
7. Cancer: The most dangerous and the most severe of all, cancer of the cheek, gums, lips, tongue, roof of the mouth can all happen in smokers, twice more likely in comparison with non-smokers.

Now, if all these are not good enough to kick the habit, remember this list is only for the mouth and the teeth. The whole body goes through a lot more harmful effects, and that should be a good reason to quit tobacco use in any form. If you need professional help, do not be embarrassed to seek.

What is Root Canal Treatment?
Root canal therapy is actually a process in which diseased, damaged or dead pulp (soft tissue inside your tooth with nerves and blood vessels) is removed from the canals of tooth, after which it is restored by cleaning, shaping and filling of the canals using a suitable restorative material.

Root canal therapy can be done in a single appointment or it might also take multiple visits depending on the situation of infected tooth.

The treated tooth is usually brittle and prone to fracture as there is not much tooth structure left due to a previous huge cavity. Hence after the treatment a crown should be placed on the tooth to restore its natural shape, appearance and prevent it from any possible damage or fracture.

Root canal therapy is one of the best options to save your natural tooth structure from further damage.