If you wake up with headaches or notice frequent jaw pain, you may be grinding your teeth without even realizing it. And the longer you grind your teeth, the more pain and dental damage occurs. Thankfully, there are hope and treatment options.
Some 25 million root canals are performed each year, according to the American Association of Endodontists, making them one of the most common endodontic procedures. While they aren’t generally a treatment people eagerly anticipate, it’s important to know that root canals aren’t painful. In addition, they tend to bring about a great deal of relief, as well as significant health benefits.
Our team of dentists at Swinney Dental, located in Tyler, Texas, performs root canal therapy using a precise and gentle approach. Read on to learn more about this procedure and why you may want to consider it.
A root canal is a bit like a thorough plumbing treatment for an infected tooth, doing away with harmful bacteria and decay to preserve its structure and prevent future infections. During the procedure, your provider will:
While some amount of discomfort is normal afterward, anesthetics will help ensure that you won’t experience pain during your root canal. For many people, the pain from the infection is far worse than any discomfort during recovery, which can be helped with ice packs and over-the-counter pain medication.
Signs you may need a root canal
The only way to know for sure whether you need a root canal is by scheduling a dental exam. Some of the signs that it’s time to do so include:
Many of these symptoms are linked with other dental issues besides infections, so proper diagnosis is important for ensuring effective treatment.
Once you notice signs of an infection, see your dentist as soon as possible. While you can’t reverse symptoms of infection and decay, you can lower your risk of developing them in the first place and guard against the need for an additional root canal once you’ve had one.
Helpful preventative measures include:
To find out if you’d benefit from root canal therapy, call Swinney Dental or schedule an appointment with Dr. Chip Swinney or Dr. Kayla Morton using our online booking feature.
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