Having a pain is never an awesome experience. Even though some tooth discomfort may be caused by factors such as sensitivity to hot or cold foods and beverages, a toothache is often a sign that there is something wrong with your tooth such as a cavity that requires the attention of your dentist. Although there is some over-the-counter medication available, delaying a trip to your dentist when there is an indication of a problem is never a good idea. There is a huge difference between a simple cavity and an infection that requires root canal treatment. Traditionally, before modern advancement in dentistry, the only remedy there was for a tooth that was extensively infected was extraction. Today, with treatment such as root canal, an infected tooth can easily be saved. However, for you to save your tooth through root canal therapy, you need to undertake timely treatment. If your dentist advises you to go through root canal treatment, you must take action immediately. Otherwise, delaying the treatment may lead to other harmful consequences. This article will look more about the root canal treatment and the consequences of delaying a root canal treatment.
Contents
- Root Canal Symptoms
- What are the Consequences of Delaying a Root Canal?
- What Happens During the Root Canal Treatment?
- Get an X-ray and Anaesthesia
- Nerve Extraction
- Root Canal Seal
- Filling and Restoration
- Aftercare Tips for Root Canal
- How Long Does Root Canal Last?
- Possible complications of a root canal
Root Canal Symptoms
When most patients hear the phrase “root canal treatment” what comes to their mind is emergency root canals that should be done right away in an emergency room. While there are some emergency root canals procedures that must be done immediately, there are so many early warning signs and symptoms that you need to visit an endodontist for root canal diagnosis. Here are some root canal symptoms.
- ‘Pimples’ on your gums
Your gums are like flesh and it is very abnormal to have a pimple on them. In case you see what appears like a pus-filled boil on your gums, it may be an indication that you may be having an infection. In other cases, these pimples may reduce in size and seem to have healed by themselves, but do not let this fool you into a false sense of security. Mostly, these pimples will grow back because the infection has not been treated. Avoid draining such growths, instead visit your dentist and let them assess your condition.
- Sensitivity and pain
A tooth that requires a root canal will often experience throbbing pain. Such a tooth will hurt when you chew things and when you touch it. In most cases, it will even hurt without being stimulated. The tooth will give off a lot of pain that may worsen or reduce depending on whether you’re standing, sitting or sleeping. Another sign to look out for is referred pain. Referred pain is that pain that spreads to other areas of your mouth or head. For example, if you need a root canal on one of your molar, you may experience some pain in your jaw or even your ear.
- Gum discomfort
A tooth that is infected will often cause some discomfort in the surrounding gum tissue. However, this discomfort may come in many forms. In some patients, it may feel like a painless knot or bump in the gums. Whereas, in others, the swelling may become so pronounced such that it can be noticed on the outside of the face. Patients who have previously suffered from gum disease may wrongly assume that the swelling is part of gingivitis. Nevertheless, gingivitis occurs in the tissues immediately surrounding the tooth. While a swelling that shows a tooth infection originates away from the gum immediately around the tooth.
- Darkened tooth
A tooth that is discolored and gets darker than other surrounding teeth indicates that there is a problem with the growth of the tooth nerve. Usually, this occurs when a tooth experiences trauma such as being hit, cracked or chipped. The trauma may not take effect until years after the initial occurrence.
- A severe toothache
If you experience a persistent and severe toothache, one which is worsened by putting pressure on your tooth or chewing, it might be a sign of a bigger problem. Having a toothache that is so severe and does not seem to go away may mean that you require a root canal.
What are the Consequences of Delaying a Root Canal?
Are you experiencing some pain in your tooth when you chew or any other symptom that may suggest that there might be a problem with your root or tooth? Has your dentist suggested that you need to go through a root canal treatment? While root canal treatment may not be one of your desires, ignoring the treatment may become expensive both on your wallet and overall health. Here are some consequences of delaying a root canal.
- Spread of Infection
In most cases, the dentist recommends a root canal due to infection of the pulp or nerve tissue. Infection is generally as a result of a fracture or a deep decay. Once the bacteria starts acting on the pulp or nerve tissue, the process does not stop unless measures are applied by your dentist to stop it. Otherwise, the infection will continue to spread even to the surrounding teeth, the surrounding bone tissue, and soft tissue and throughout your entire mouth. The infection might even spread to other parts of your body and it sometimes may be life-threatening.
- Unbearable Pain
The infection present on the tooth results to a lot of pain. The pain worsens as the infection continues especially when anabscess has begun to form at the root of the tooth. You might experience adifferent type of pain if you delay root canal treatment. The first kind of pain is a lingering pain. Lingering pain is used by adentist as a simple test to identify if your tooth is dead or dying or if there is any chance of recovery. The patient is advised to drink a cup of cold water and test the tooth sensitivity. If after drinking the cold water you experience a non-lingering pain, this means that the pulp is still alive and there are some good chances for survival. Non-lingering pain is a type of pain that you will experience but then it will go away after some few minutes. On the other hand, if the pain lingers for a long time, say for the next one hour, then symptoms indicate that your pulp is infected. It means that the nerve is dead and chances of recovery are minimal. If you are experiencing such kind of pain and you delay getting a root canal, the pain will only get worse and unbearable.
- Acute Abscess
An untreated root canal can not only result in bone loss and infection but can also result in an acute abscess. An abscess is the formation of pus on the infected tissue or the area of decay. Some of the symptoms of an acute abscess include unbearable pain, swelling and fever. If this problem goes untreated, it might result in swelling around the jawbone and may cause difficulties in breathing due to airway obstruction. In severe cases of acute abscess, the infection may spread to the brain.
- More Difficult Treatment
The more you delay without having the treatment, the more complicated and costly it becomes. This is because the infection will continue to spread even further. Treatment will be more complicated especially for the teeth that are located at the back of the mouth because since they have more than one root where infection can spread. The longer you delay having the treatment the harderit becomes for the dentist to remove the decayed material.
- 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.
- You May be at Risk of Stroke or Heart Disease
If you delay having a root canal treatment on a decayed or infected tooth, the pain you were initially experiencing might go away without necessarily taking any measures. However, this does not mean that the underlying problems have been solved. When abscess that is filled with pus begins to develop, it means that the infection has worsened significantly. In such extreme cases, the infection may lead to a systematic inflammation and at such a point you may be at risk of developing a stroke or heart disease. The mouth is one of the main entry to the body, so if the mouth is infected, the infection can be easily spread to the rest of the body leading to other complication. In some severe cases, delayed root canal treatment can easily result in loss of life.
What Happens During the Root Canal Treatment?
When you are planning to have a root canal for the first time, you probably may feel a little bit scared especially because of the horror stories you’ve heard before about the treatment. But we are going to walk you through the procedure and let you know what happens so that you can make up your mind and not delay the treatment. This should help you feel somehow better about the treatment. One thing that you should keep in mind is that root canals don’t cause any pain, in fact, they help in relieving it. Here is a step by step procedure of what happens during the procedure.
Get an X-ray and Anaesthesia
The dentist will first start by taking an image of your tooth root through an x-ray to determine the root structure, extent of the infection and if there are any signs of infection surrounding the bones. The x-ray is the most crucial diagnosis that will dictate the kind of work to be undertaken by the dentist. The endodontist will then numb the area around the affected tooth. Local anaesthesia may not be necessary if the root is already dead. However, most dentists prefer to give you a local anaesthesia to prevent any kind of pain that may result from the procedure.
Nerve Extraction
After the local anaesthesia, the dentist will place a dental dam over the affected tooth so as to isolate it from the other tooth. A dental dam provides a dentist with a convenient working area and keeps the tooth away from saliva during the process. After the tooth is dry and free from saliva, the dentist will drill a hole into the tooth. This hole will give the dentist access to the pulp chambers and the root canals. The dentist will use some special instruments to remove any dead and diseased pulp tissue from your tooth. This process is not painful since the area has already been numb and the nerve tissue is already dead or dying. After completely removing all the decayed nerves, the dentist will then clean up and disinfect it. Typically, sodium hypochlorite is used as a cleaning agent since it’s a good disinfectant. The dentist will then shape the area using some tiny dental instruments.
Root Canal Seal
Once the root has been thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and properly shaped, the dentist will now either permanently or temporary seal it. Some dentist may choose to place a temporary seal for about five to seven days so that they can monitor if there is any possible infection that was left behind. However, there are some dentists who prefer to drill and seal the area on the same day. Those who choose to wait use thetemporary filling to prevent saliva, bacteria and any food debris from entering the area. No method is better than the other, the dentist will make his or her decision depending on the state of your tooth.
Filling and Restoration
The primary materials used as sealers during the sealing process are gutta-percha and a sealer paste. The dentist will fill the exterior part of the drilled hole with a filler. If there is not enough tooth structure left to hold the filling, your endodontist may put a strong plastic inside your canal to help hold the filling in position.
Aftercare Tips for Root Canal
After getting a root canal treatment, ensure that you follow your dentist’s instructions. Taking proper care is mandatory in maintaining a healthy mouth. Here are aftercare tips to follow for a root canal treatment.
- Pay attention to your pain levels
When it comes to pain, pay attention to the difference between a ‘normal ‘level of pain and a severe throbbing pain that may indicate a problem. Thanks to technology advancements in today’s root canal procedures, the majority of the patients experience little to no pain after the procedure. Usually, when the patient experiences some pain it’s normally mild due to the bruised tissues in or around the treated tooth. A ‘normal’ pain can differ depending on each patient’s tolerance and procedure. Most patients who do experience the pain will have it for one or a few days after the treatment. Taking oral painkillers will help in relieving that pain. Significant pain that cannot be relieved or which increases in intensity could be a sign of a problem such as an infection or a fractured tooth.
- Keep the area clean
Ensure that you keep the tooth and gums where the procedure had taken place clean. You can do this by regularly and gently brushing and flossing your teeth and rinsing your mouth.
- Avoid crunchy or hard foods
As much as you are trying hard not to chew on your treated side of the mouth, eating foods that are crunchy or hard could increase the risk of you damaging the temporary filling that is used to seal the tooth until a permanent restoration is placed. Crunchy or hard foods can easily damage the temporary filling or even break off the tooth lead to an extraction. To be on a safe side, avoid hard foods until a permanent restoration is put in place.
- Take your prescriptions as directed
At this point, you already know how painful it is to have a tooth infection. Therefore, it’s very important that you take any of your prescribed antibiotics as directed to avoid any additional or further infection.
- Consider getting a crown for your tooth
First, because a root canal requires that the interior portion of your tooth removed, this will alter and weaken the tooth structure. For this reason, a crown will be recommended to give protection and strengthen the tooth to avoid it from breaking and other issues. Mostly, crowns will be placed during a subsequent treatment once the tooth and the nearby tissues have a chance to heal. While waiting for that treatment, your tooth will be unprotected and you will have to take care not to chew on that side of your mouth.
- Stay in touch with your dentist
If you experience any unusual symptoms or have serious complications after the procedure, ensure that you contact your dentist immediately. Some of the key reasons to contact your dentist are if there’s a noticeable swelling inside or outside your mouth, if you have an allergic reaction to the prescribed medication or your bite feels uneven.
How Long Does Root Canal Last?
According to Australian Associations of Endodontics, root canals treatment have a success rate of 95% and in most cases, they last for decades or even a lifetime. However, there are so many factors that determine how long a root canal will last. For example, the position of the teeth is one of the factors. Teeth that are positioned at the front don’t take as much biting pressure as it is the case with back teeth. This means that front teeth tend to last longer compared to back teeth. The skills and experience of the endodontist who performs the procedure to you also play a vital role. That is why it’s always advisable that you do a background research about the qualification of your endodontist before finally settling with a specific one.
Additionally, if you would like your root canals to last for years make sure you practice proper oral hygiene measures. This includes brushing at least twice a day and flossing at least once a day. Also, don’t forget to schedule regular dental appointments of at least once after six months. Just because you have a root canal does not mean you are entirely safe, your tooth can still get a cavity. Make sure you practice proper dental hygiene to prevent such occurrence.
Possible complications of a root canal
Root canals tend to have high success rates although they are quite invasive procedures. However, root canals do not always go as per the plan. Some complications may arise during or after the procedure. While some of these complications can be expected, many of them can’t really be predicted. Fortunately, most of these complications are very rare and treatable.
- Fractured root or crown
Removing the tooth nerves leaves the tooth without oxygen, nutrient or blood supply. This makes the tooth fragile and brittle. Fractures and cracks on the root or crown can be spotted before, during or after the procedure. Your dentist will advise on whether to extract or fill your tooth depending on the severity or the extent of the fracture. A fracture will often occur after the procedure due to constant biting on hard objects, teeth grinding or lack of a crown.
- Fractured instruments
This is one of the most common complications that occur. Tiny tools that are used in cleaning and shaping the canals sometimes tend to break during the procedure and get stuck inside the canal. Mostly, this happens if the canals are very curvy or when the rotary files have been used too many times or used with too much speed. When a tiny bit breaks off and gets stuck in the canal, it can be swallowed up into the filling during the sealing procedure. If it’s a larger bit or dangerous to be left in the canal, then your dentist will use an ultrasonic instrument and microscope to remove it.
- Re-infection
A re-infection occurs when a root canal has failed. This may be due to inadequate cleaning, complex root formations or connections to the outer side of the tooth through or a fracture or lateral canal.
- Sinus congestion
Some of your teeth may have roots that reach the sinus cavity. In some cases, a root canal may lead to an inflammation of the surrounding sinus cavities causing congestion. Mostly, this complication diminishes after a few weeks.
If you experience any of this complication after root canal treatment, make sure that you see your endodontist immediately. Don’t wait for the condition to worsen. However, as mentioned above such complications are very rare.
Conclusion
While needing a root canal may necessarily not thrill you, delaying the treatment is a far worse option. Avoid costly and complicated procedures in future by addressing the problem at source. With the latest advancements in technology in the world of endodontists, root canal treatments are today far more comfortable and convenient than before. If your main worry is about expenses, talk to your dentist and see if your dental insurance will cover the treatment. If not, your dentist will most likely work an affordable plan for you. If your main reason for delaying the procedure is pain, don’t worry, your dentist will apply one of the many options he has at his disposal to make sure that you feel no pain and you are comfortable.
