Take Tooth Pain Seriously

If you felt a pain in your tooth, how quickly would you reach out to your dentist for treatment? If you make your oral health a lower priority, or just hope that a problem will go away on its own, you could develop a real problem. Tooth pain could stem from a cavity that has infected the living tissue in your tooth. This is serious, as that infection can do irreparable damage to the tooth, and continue to spread beyond it if you do not receive a root canal. If you feel lingering pain after a tooth injury, it could mean that the nerves in your tooth are damaged, and need treatment.

What An Advanced Cavity Means For Your Health

If you stop it in time, you can treat a cavity with a filling, and avoid letting it access the center of your tooth. One of the benefits of regular checkups is that your dentist can identify and treat problems while they are still small. However, if a cavity has become painful, you should expect to need a root canal treatment to remove an infection in the pulp of your tooth. Without this treatment, bacteria in your tooth can spread through the root into your jawbone, and cause more health problems.

Lingering Tooth Pain After An Injury

Even if your tooth is not cracked, physical trauma can still upset its center. If you experienced nerve damage after an injury, your dentist will need to perform a root canal to treat it. If the tooth is sensitive, or if you have trouble biting and chewing with it, that treatment can help return your jaw to normal function. It can be fully restored by having a dental crown placed over it.