Woman Touching Cheek Due to Toothache

Do you know the signs that may indicate that you need a root canal? Our Phoenix, AZ, dentists, Dr. Linda Beguin and Dr. Gary Steen of CenterCare Dental Group, can help you determine if you have an at-risk tooth.

Pain when eating

Chewing, or even pressing on your tooth with your finger, can cause pain if you need a root canal. You may also experience sensitivity when you eat or drink hot or cold foods and beverages. Pain can continue for as long as 30 minutes after you finish eating or drinking. Pain and other root canal symptoms occur when the pulp in the center of your tooth becomes inflamed or infected. Root canals remove the pulp and replace it with a rubber-based filling material.

Varying levels of pain

Everyone has a different pain threshold and doesn’t necessarily experience the same symptoms. Your pain may be mild or might be severe and throbbing. In the early stages of an inflammation or infection, pain may even be intermittent. It’s not a good idea to ignore tooth pain, even if it comes and goes. Treating your tooth with a root canal when you first notice that something isn’t quite right can help you avoid an abscess, a painful bacterial infection in your tooth.

Abscess symptoms

If you do develop an abscess, you’ll probably experience a few of these symptoms:

  • Pus or a pimple on the gum around the tooth
  • Fever
  • Swollen lymph glands
  • Facial swelling

Although a root canal will get rid of the infected pulp at the center of your tooth, it won’t treat your bacterial infection. You’ll also need to take a course of antibiotics. Delaying treatment may allow the bacteria to spread to other parts of your body. In some cases, it may even reach your brain or heart.

Other symptoms

An inflammation or infection in your tooth can cause your tooth to change color. If your tooth looks brown, gray or even yellower than normal, call our Phoenix office to schedule an appointment. Swelling or redness of your gums may be another sign that you may need a root canal.

Root canals help save inflamed and infected teeth. Are you worried about a tooth? Call Phoenix, AZ, dentists, Dr. Beguin and Dr. Steen of CenterCare Dental Group, at (602) 671-3956 to schedule an appointment.