Most people have experienced toothache during their lives. Some have slight pain, and some have severe pain accompanied with an abscess and facial swelling. Sometimes we have pain while eating hard foods or drinking cold water and hot tea. If we do not take these symptoms seriously and do not visit an emergency dentist, these symptoms will become more severe and harder to be treated.
The tooth decay first occurs in the enamel and dentin. If it is left untreated, the germs enter the dental pulp and cause inflammation. The pressure inside the pulp increases, too; therefore, you will feel pain. While sleeping, the blood rushes to the head, so the pain increases at night.
If we do not eliminate the infection as quickly as possible, the infection and inflammation will spread to adjacent areas of the tooth. They will cause abscesses and swelling around the tooth.
Before root canal treatment, an emergency dentist first cleans the tooth and removes caries in the dental clinic. Then, he removes the nerves inside the tooth roots with a variety of specialized tools and cleanses the canals from the germs. Finally, the tooth roots are filled with particular materials. Occasionally, the patient may need to use antibiotics and painkillers to relieve pain and infection. In later treatment sessions, the tooth crown will be filled, or a dental crown is placed on the tooth if needed. The aim of root canal therapy is to save the damaged tooth and clearing the infection. Therefore, you will not suffer from pain while eating or drinking. A root-treated tooth survives 8-10 years. 
Do I Need Emergency Root Canal Treatment?
Root canal treatment is needed if the soft tissue inside the tooth, which is called the pulp, is infected. In this case, an emergency dentist will take an X-ray to identify the infection inside the tooth roots. Radiology X-rays are used to diagnose possible dental problems. Pulp infection is usually caused by tooth decay.
What are the symptoms of Tooth Infection?
Here are some symptoms of tooth infection, including:
– Feeling pain while consuming hot or cold foods or drinks
– Feeling sharp pain while biting down or chewing
– Loose tooth
As the infection progresses, these symptoms are often disappeared. You may think your tooth is treated, but the infection has actually spread to the root canal system. Then, you will experience the following symptoms:
– Swelling in the gum near the damaged tooth
– Pus discharging from the affected tooth
– Face swelling
– Discoloration and darkening of the affected tooth
If your toothache gets worse, you have to head to the emergency dental clinic as soon as you can. You can find out the leading reason for your pain and have it treated. If you leave your damaged tooth untreated, you may lose your tooth. If your tooth is damaged severely, the emergency dentist may extract your tooth and replace the missing tooth with the dental implant.
This article was rewritten from DENTALCLINICTORONTO. It helps you to know how to handle dental emergencies and prepare for the unexpected.
