Do You Have A Tooth Infection?

By Molson Park Dental

07/17/2017 Tooth infections have become so common these days possibly due to poor dental hygiene. Tooth infections occur when bacteria invade the pulp of the tooth. If your tooth is infected, there is a high chance that you will need to undergo a root canal treatment to restore your dental health. But first, let's help you find out if your tooth is infected by going over the common symptoms you are likely to experience.

Symptoms Of A Tooth Infection
Pain: This is one of the main indicators of an infected tooth. You may experience persistent pain that can't seem to go away. In other cases, you may feel a sharp pain whenever you bite something or chew food.

Tooth sensitivity: As the infection spread to the pulp, your teeth become sensitive. You may find it hard to take cold or hot foods due to this sensitivity.

Red or swollen gums: An infected tooth can also result in red and swollen gums. Sometimes you may notice some bleeding whenever you brush your teeth. At this point, the infection can quickly spread from one tooth to another.

Tooth discoloration: Discolored teeth can be as a result of consuming the wrong foods or even due to an underlying condition like a tooth infection.

Bad breath: The buildup of bacteria in an infected tooth can result in bad breath. You may use all kinds of toothpastes to eliminate bad breath but it won't work unless the infection is treated.

What To Expect During Root Canal Treatment
Root canal treatments are not invasive dental procedures that take too long to heal. If you feel skeptical or wary of the procedure, it's important to go over it with your dentist to understand exactly what will take place. Your dentist is going to apply a local anesthesia on the area so that you don't feel any pain and minimal discomfort during the root canal treatment. He/she will make a small access hole in order to get rid of any bacteria and debris that may be stuck inside the tooth. This procedure also involves getting rid of the infected tooth pulp using specialized equipment.

The area will then be sealed and covered using a dental crown. The purpose of sealing the area with a dental crown is to prevent it from getting infected again. Furthermore, the dental crown offers a complete restoration and strength. The entire root canal process should be done in just one visit but if your tooth is severely infected, you may need more than one visit. Once done, your dentist will administer some antibiotics to prevent the area from getting infected

Why Seek Professional Help Immediately?
It is very important to seek professional help if your tooth is infected. If you allow the infection to spread and get worse, you risk causing serious damage to the surrounding bone and eventually affecting other tissues in the neck and head. The best part is that tooth infections can be successfully treated through root canals. So seek proper restoration as soon as possible to avoid losing your tooth.

For more information please visit http://www.chapnickdental.com/

About This Author

Molson Park Dental

Molson Park Dental Office is a friendly, full-service dental practice. We offer an array of cosmetic dentistry procedures, general dentistry, implant and tooth replacement and neuromuscular dentistry to our clients in our Barrie and Toronto offices…