Ask any dentist and they will gladly confirm that tooth extraction really is a last resort, and root canal treatment is often the preferred option that allows the tooth to remain in place. If you are wondering why it is so important not to extract teeth unless absolutely necessary, once a tooth has been removed, the teeth on either side have now lost the critical support and this means they will loosen over time.
Here are a few of the signs that tell you root canal treatment might be required.
- Sensitivity To Heat & Cold– If you wince when drinking hot or iced coffee, this is because of exposed nerves, which might be due to a cracked or chipped tooth, or possibly gum disease that has reached the nerve section of the tooth. The best solution if you are experiencing this kind of discomfort is to make an appointment with a local dentist, who can carry out a thorough oral examination to determine the cause of the sensitivity. Sensitive teeth are a problem for many Australian people, although root canal treatment is not always the answer, and the only way to know for sure is to visit your dentist and ask them to examine you.
- Constant Pain– If you are suffering with a constant pain at the base of a tooth, this could well be due to a serious infection, and in some cases, root canal treatment is recommended, and by making an appointment at a Brisbane endodontics clinic, an expert can give you a diagnosis. Of course, toothache can be caused by many things and in a lot of cases, other forms of treatment are advised.
- Swollen Gums– Swollen gums signify that something is wrong under the surface of the gums and it is usually accompanied by pain, which might be due to a deep infection. In many cases, the tooth is fine and the inflammation will clear up with some medication, yet there are times when the root is damaged, and rather than losing the tooth, root canal treatment is the best option.
- Dark Tooth Discolouration – This could be due to root damage, which affects the small blood veins and causes a dark discolouration, and this is often because of extended periods of tooth decay, due to poor oral hygiene. If you notice a dark discolouration at the base of one of your teeth, make an appointment with your dentist and he or she would carry out a thorough oral examination to determine the cause and recommend a treatment.
Without root canal treatment, many people would have no choice but to have teeth extracted and this can cause a whole new set of issues, as the teeth on either side will soon work their way loose and this is a very difficult thing to treat. Only a qualified dentist can perform root canal treatment, which involves removing the substance in the root canal, cleaning out the space, then filling it with a special composite material that retains the tooth’s strength.