Root canal treatment is the process of removing infected or injured tissue (pulp) from inside the crown and roots of a tooth. Once cleaned, the canal is disinfected, shaped, filled and sealed with natural rubber-like material called gutta percha. The opening of the tooth is then sealed with either a temporary or permanent filling to prevent future infection. Often the treated tooth receives a crown to further protect the root. 

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When Do You Need a Root Canal?

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There are many things that can damage the pulp or nerve of the tooth. Often a patient will feel pain or other symptoms that alert them to needing root canal treatment, but sometimes there are no symptoms or warnings. The following are some of the more common reasons for needing root canal treatment.

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A toothache is the most common symptom of needing a root canal. The pain that comes from a tooth needing a root canal is fairly specific. If the tooth is still alive, you will experience extreme sensitivity to hot or cold liquids or foods and that sensitivity will continue even after the hot or cold stimulus is taken away from the tooth. Heat sensitivity, instead of cold, is a symptom that is very specific to a tooth requiring root canal treatment. The tooth may start to hurt spontaneously, in the middle of the night, or sometimes when you are not even using the affected tooth to eat or drink. The pain can progress to a very severe generalized headache that may cause you to even forget what initially caused the pain. If the tooth is dead and has become abscessed, you will feel pain when you chew food or put pressure on the tooth. An abscess may or may not produce swelling or bleeding around the tooth, and sometimes it causes significant swelling of the cheek, jaw, or throat. If this swelling is noticed, treatment needs are urgent -- even if that means going to urgent care or the emergency room of a hospital. Many other conditions of the mouth can masquerade as a toothache. 

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Sometimes a patient may feel intense tooth pain that makes them think they need root canal treatment, but the pain is a symptom of another problem requiring a different treatment. Root surfaces that have become exposed as a result of gum recession can mimic cold sensitivity. Sinus congestion can produce pressure around the roots of the upper teeth and cause pain upon chewing, which mimics root canal pain. Jaw pain can either be an indication of pain in the jaw joint or pain referred from a tooth needing a root canal. Even gum disease can mimic the throbbing pain around teeth that can feel similar to root canal pain.

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