How to Tell if You Need a Root Canal

It’s a horrible term that one never wants to hear during a visit to the dentist. Why are the words ‘root canal’ so feared? Much of the horror stems from the fact that the procedure is greatly misunderstood. Though a root canal does involve some pain, it is often performed as a means of preventing even worse and longer lasting pain in the future.

Within the tooth exists a substance referred to as pulp. This is home to a number of important blood vessels and nerves, but it is also this substance that provides the moisture and nourishment teeth need to remain strong and resilient. This tissue, however, is susceptible to infection and if decay eats through the outer layer of the tooth, the pulp is in extreme danger. This is also true when the integrity of a tooth is damaged due to injury.

If this tissue becomes infected, it will naturally swell, as would any other soft tissue in the body. However, because it is encased by the tooth, the swelling only serves to compress blood vessels leading to intense pain. Slowly, the blood vessels and nerves will die, and in doing so will leave the person in extreme, long term pain. This can even lead to severe abscesses. For many, many years, the only way to relieve the pain was to pull the tooth, but thanks to the root canal, the tooth can be left in place and just the pulp tissue has to be removed. The procedure is painful in the short term, but stops the spreading of infection and will ultimately relieve the pain associated with a dead pulp tissue.

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