If you have one or a few of the following signs and symptoms you may need to undergo root canal treatment.

• Increased sensitivity to hot or cold

If you have a mild sensitivity to hot or cold food that only lasts a few seconds this generally does not signal a serious problem. Minor sensitivity may be caused by a small decay, a loose filling, or mild gum recession exposing the underlying sensitive nerve endings. Mild sensitivity after a dental treatment due to a temporarily inflamed pulp tissue will subside within two to four weeks. If the pain persists or worsens you should seek an endodontic evaluation.

However, if you have lingering pain after consuming hot or cold food and beverages this probably means the pulp has been irreversibly damaged by deep decay or physical trauma.

• Spontaneous toothache

Spontaneous toothache without any obvious cause like hot or cold food signals irreversible damage to the pulp.

• Pain on biting

Sharp pain from biting is another signal that suggests not only possible irreversible damage to the pulp but also the infection has extended beyond the tooth into the surrounding tissues.

• Swelling in the mouth

An abscess is a pus-filled swelling in or around the root of the tooth which may or may not be painful. It occurs when the pulp dies, and the surrounding tissues become inflamed and go untreated. The most common symptom of an abscess is an ache in the bone around the tooth.

You may also experience pain from chewing and or swelling of the gums.

Sometimes a dull ache and pressure in the teeth, jaws, and muscles used for chewing can be caused by grinding of the teeth or bruxism. A thorough evaluation by your endodontist or dental specialist can differentiate between a root canal problem and bruxism.

Let’s dive into more details about how a root canal procedure is carried out.

1. First, your root canal or endo specialist will do a thorough examination of your mouth identify the causes of the damage and will carry out the treatment planning according to the condition of your mouth. After a thorough examination of your mouth.
2. The root canal or endo specialist will numb the affected tooth site by giving a local anaesthetic injection before the procedure so you won’t feel any pain or discomfort during the procedure.
3. Then he will place an appliance called a rubber dam around the infected tooth to isolate the treatment site from the rest of the mouth. Rubber dam ensures your safety by avoiding the sharp instruments accidentally falling into the throat and keeping the chemicals out of the soft tissues because the chemicals used during the root canal treatment are strong and can burn the soft tissues.
4. Your dentist will then remove the decay and infection from the inside of your tooth using high-speed rotary instruments.
5. Small files will be used to remove the nerves and infection inside the root canals of the tooth.
6. The tooth will be cleaned and disinfected and then a rubber material called gutta-percha will be placed to fill the space inside the root canals and seal them.
7. Eventually, a filling will be placed to seal the tooth.
8. In certain situation only if needed, the dentist may prescribe pain and anti-inflammatory medications along with some antibiotics.

Thus, the root canal treatment will only take one to three appointments. Many dentists recommend placing a crown on root canal-treated teeth because there’s an increased risk of fracturing other filling materials. A crown can be made of metal or porcelain and essentially acts to strengthen your tooth.

If you follow the recommended post-operative care, a root canal-treated tooth will last for a decade or even for a lifetime.

Dental surgeons often advise patients to wait for about 48 hours after the treatment before chewing on the side where the root canal was done just to allow some time for the patient to get used to the newly treated root canal and the filling. It’s better to start eating soft food like pasta or rice and increase in terms of hardness such as crunchy peanuts to avoid intense pressure on the tooth.

Of course, you can. Drinking out of straw should be avoided after a tooth extraction to protect the blood clot in place. However, it’s okay to drink out of straw after a root canal treatment.

Why not? It’s normal to feel a little discomfort after a root canal treatment, but it doesn’t necessarily interfere with your daily lifestyle unless you develop post-operative complications like painful swellings in the treated area. Therefore, you can attend to your daily work without any problem.

Depending on the severity and the extent of your dental problem, the cost, and sometimes dental surgeons take your wishes to account to proceed with treatment.

1. Extraction of the tooth:Removal of natural teeth is not advised unless it is extremely necessary. The teeth with a poor prognosis will be extracted even if they are indicated for root canal treatment for the time being. When a patient is uncomfortable undergoing a root canal, the dentist may remove the tooth instead of doing a root canal if the tooth is a back tooth which doesn’t cause many esthetic problems.

2. Pulpotomy:When only part of the pulp is involved with an infection, it will be enough to remove the upper part without instead of a complete root canal. After excavation of the infected part of the pulp, a normal filling will be done to cover the cavity.

3. Apexification:This is a type of root canal treatment involving repeated root canal dressing with Calcium Hydroxide indicated for immature teeth with incomplete roots. Definitive root canal treatment will be carried out once a calorific barrier is formed at the tip of the immature tooth.

4. Root Removal (Apicoectomy):An apicoectomy is a minor surgical procedure in which the very tip of the tooth’s root is removed and sealed. An apicoectomy may be needed when an infection develops or persists after root canal treatment, or retreatment.

5. Root Planning:It is a method of treating severe gum disease. When having gum disease, inflammation of the tissues will lead to separation of gum from the root surface, which creates a tiny space known as a periodontal pocket. Root planning smooths the surface of the root so the gums can reattach properly.

6. Post & Core Crown:A type of dental restoration required where there is an inadequate amount of sound tooth tissue remaining to retain a conventional crown. A post is cemented into a prepared root canal, which retains a core restoration, which retains the final crown.