Having an infection in your tooth is no different than having an infection in the rest of your body. A tooth infection can be asymptomatic or symptomatic. It can be painless or very painful depending on the acuity level of the infection. An infection in the mouth can be dangerous if left untreated; therefore, it is imperative to undergo a thorough examination by a dentist every 6 months.
When an infection occurs inside a tooth due to decay or other reasons, the nerve of the tooth starts to slowly die.The dead tissue will start to spread to the surrounding area of the tooth and bone. Often times, a root canal is recommended based on the symptoms or an x-ray revealing a lesion around the apex of the tooth.
An infected tooth either requires a root canal or an extraction. The treating doctor will determine whether the tooth can be saved with a root canal or not. If the tooth cannot be saved, it will need to be extracted and replaced with a dental implant. If an implant is needed you can visit our specialty center www.onesolutiondentalimplants.com
A root canal is usually a painless procedure. The treating doctor will anesthetize the tooth with a local anesthetic and the procedure will not feel any different than having a filling or another type of dentistry done.
The dead or infected tissue remaining from the infection will be thoroughly cleaned out and filled with a special sealer material. As a result of this root canal procedure, the tooth without its blood vessels will become weak and require a crown to protect it from breakage.
This procedure should not give you any more anxiety than any other dental procedure. Different types of sedation are available if necessary and it could be as simple as taking a pill.