11104 S. Natoma Ave.

Worth, IL 60482

(708) 448-0333

Signs You May Need a Root Canal

Signs You May Need a Root Canal

What is a root canal? It's a traditional restorative treatment. Comfortable and relatively uncomplicated, root canal treatment saves teeth root canalcompromised by trauma, decay, abscess, and more. Learn here what tells your Worth, IL, dentist serving Palos Park, IL, why root canal therapy is your optimal treatment option.

What is root canal therapy?

Also called endodontic therapy, a root canal procedure removes the soft pulp from the interior of an ailing or injured tooth. This pulp nourishes the tooth and helps it develop during childhood, but after adolescence, it no longer plays a critical role in the life of a tooth. In fact, once pulp is removed, a tooth can survive and function without it for decades.

During two-visit root canal therapy at All Smiles in Worth, IL, serving Palos Park, IL, your dentist accesses the canals inside the tooth's root system. They remove the pulp, smooth and disinfects the canals, and seal them with a strong and flexible material. After a period of healing, a beautiful customized crown is placed over the tooth to strengthen, protect, and beautify it.

Signs you may need a root canal

Some people show no symptoms at all, but their tooth problems show on routine examinations at All Smiles. Most individuals, however, do exhibit classic signs of oral trauma or abscess. These signs, along with visual inspection and X-ray imaging, tell the dentist a root canal treatment may be necessary to extend the usefulness of a tooth, to cure the dangerous infection and to make the patient comfortable.

Yes, root canal therapy does make people more comfortable. Modern techniques make endodontic treatments no more painful than getting a filling. In other words, root canal procedures don't hurt at all, and most people simply need locally-injected anesthetic during their treatments.

Signs which indicate a need for a root canal are:

  • Throbbing toothache pain
  • Darkened tooth enamel
  • A red pimple at the gum line
  • Pain with biting and chewing
  • Sensitivity to heat and cold
  • Pain with percussion (dentist taps on the tooth)
  • Fractured tooth structure
  • Drainage
  • Bad breath

Can your tooth be saved?

Only your dentist can tell you for sure if a root canal treatment can heal your tooth. So at the first sign of difficulty, contact All Smiles in Worth, IL, and serving Palos Park for a consultation at (708) 448-0333.