WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF ROOT CANAL?

Identifying the signs of root canal is vital in the healthy maintenance of teeth. Every tooth might not require a root canal. At the same time treating a tooth with a root canal at the right time is also important. 

Teeth with on-time treatment records have high survival rates when compared to other teeth. Moreover, I have seen patients afraid to have root canals die to an apprehension of developing oral cancer.

They simply postpone their treatments due to misconceptions about oral cancer. A few patients are afraid of the cost of root canal treatment. but, do you know that you will be paying more for treatments other than a root canal.

This is true.   Teeth contain a central vital region called PULP. It contains nerves and blood vessels. Whenever caries involves this vital region, then there is a need for a root canal.

Does a toothache always mean root canal?

The answer is no. All toothaches might not demand root canal treatment. It is your dentist who will choose the best treatment for your tooth. In case of pain, I would recommend having a dental consultation to frame a proper treatment plan.

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Do teeth show specific signs of root canal, by which we can understand that they have to be treated ?

The answer is yes. The best treatment option, when caries involves deeper portions of the tooth, almost near to pulp is root canal treatment. We can discriminate normal tooth pain from root canal pain.

The characteristic features of root canal pain are as follows:

Pain during night time:

The patient will have severe pain during night time associated with sleepless nights. This is due to the involvement of caries in the vital portion of teeth.

Pain while eating food:

Patients sense severe pain when food is struck into the cavitated or carried area. The patient will have relief only after removing the food particles from the teeth.

Pain on pricking:

Whenever food gets stuck in teeth, we use some toothpick-like instruments to clean them. If such pricking produces severe uncontrollable pain, it is a standard sign, that the involving tooth may require root canal treatment.

These three signs give an idea about the present stage of the paining teeth. In most of the instances, the signs lead to root canal treatment of your teeth.

But it’s always better to have a thorough dental checkup by your family dentist and get it confirmed.

ARE THERE ANY ALTERNATIVES TO ROOT CANAL?

When the caries are not involving pulp but are in close approximation,  your dentist can suggest having a treatment called INDIRECT PULP CAPPING.

In this procedure, caries near to the vital portion of the teeth are removed, leaving a thin layer of dentin over the pulp, followed by placing calcium hydroxide paste.

The calcium paste rejuvenates dentin and helps in the formation of secondary dentin. The newly formed dentin prevents the further spread of caries. But this procedure has only a 50% success rate. Hence it is your dentist, who has to take the decision, whether to go for Pulp capping or to do a root canal.

WHAT CAUSES YOU TO NEED A ROOT CANAL?

A root canal is the best conservative treatment available for severely damaged tooth. It can help in maintaining the structure of your tooth and aids in chewing.

There is no best alternative to a NATURAL TOOTH. Hence it is always wiser to preserve your natural tooth to the maximum extent possible.

HOW LONG DOES ROOT CANALS LAST?

Studies say that there is a 95% success rate for root canal procedures. But one thing is sure, no structure is permanent in this world.

Instead of questioning the longevity of the tooth, it is better to maintain the treated tooth correctly. Lack of proper maintenance results in the destruction and degradation of the natural tooth.

In such a scenario we cannot expect a treated tooth to withstand such adverse conditions. Proper maintenance of root canal-treated teeth is vital. This aids in increasing the lifespan of teeth.

WHICH ONE IS BETTER? ROOT CANAL OR EXTRACTION?

My answer will be always a root canal. This is the best process of preserving your natural tooth. Nothing is comparable to natural teeth.

Even the high-cost implants cannot produce a comfortable replacement for a natural tooth.

Moreover, it takes a lot of time and money to have a replacement for a missing tooth.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON’T GET A ROOT CANAL?

This is a big question to be answered. Postponement of root canal procedures is harmful.

It can result in severe abscesses below the teeth resulting in dangerous space infections. In some cases, the infection can spread to adjacent teeth and gums resulting in tooth loss.

It’s better to follow your dentist’s advice than your opinion, as he understands the situation in a much better way.

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Dr. Kiran

Oral physician & Consultant Oral radiologist

"Denta digest" – a blog on Oral diseases & Dental problems" is the brainchild of Dr. Sai Kiran MDS. As an Oral medicine expert and a consultant oral radiologist, he is good at diagnosis & treatment planning. Dr.Kiran has many national & international publications to his credit. Read more about him on the "about me" page.

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