Root canals are necessary treatments when a tooth infection has spread too far for a cavity filling. In order to prevent infection from reaching the rest of your body, the dentist may suggest that you immediately get a root canal to save your tooth. Severe tooth infections may warrant an emergency, which could immediately require care. But, is a root canal a dental emergency all the time? Should you wait before getting treated for something as serious as a root canal?

Is a Root Canal a Dental Emergency?

The reality of the situation is that in most cases, a root canal is a dental emergency that should be taken care of right away. Today, your West First Dental experts will deep-dive into the importance of root canals and help you find available emergency dentists near you.

When a Root Canal is an Emergency

If a tooth infection has started to spread and started causing radiating pain throughout your mouth, it proves time for a root canal immediately. Make sure you contact a trusted dentist who works available to treat your symptoms with an effective and thorough treatment. You’ll know a root canal is definitely an emergency when you are feeling intense symptoms of pain, soreness, and tooth sensitivity. You may also experience bleeding from the gums or from the bottom of your tooth. Even if you don’t know exactly how serious your symptoms might be, it is a good idea to get in touch with your dentist.

Going Through the Root Canal Process

When you visit your emergency dentist for root canal treatment, there exist a few procedures that must happen first. One of the early steps starts with filling in an existing infection with a filling, otherwise known as a cavity. If your infection has grown too large for a cavity filling and has reached the nerve pulp of your teeth, the dentist will move forward with a root canal procedure.

Here we have the steps to getting a root canal:

• Tests and X-Rays. It remains important to take pictures of your teeth and the surrounding areas to have a good look at the damage before treating it properly.
• Numbing and pulp removal. The first part of the root canal process involves applying topical anesthesia so you do not feel any pain during the procedure. This makes it easy for the dentist to scoop out the nerves and pulp in your tooth without causing you additional trauma.
• Sealing the tooth. Once the infected tooth pulp has been removed, your dentist will seal the tooth to ensure no other harmful bacteria can get in. Your tooth will no longer remain connected to your nervous system. But it can remain in your mouth without harm.

Root canals might sound like a scary and painful treatment, but they can actually save you from losing your teeth. A root canal will immediately wipe out any and all signs of infection so you don’t have to worry about your health worsening in your mouth. An easy and quick treatment, your root canal will give you a lifetime of dental health benefits to enjoy.

Learn More About Emergency Root Canals Today

Worried that you might have an infection that needs a root canal but you don’t know where to start or who to reach out to first? Our cosmetic dentistry office in Cedar Falls is here to help! Don’t let days and even weeks of pain keep growing in your mouth. Not only can infections be agonizing to deal with, but they can also put the health of your entire body at risk. You can prevent a dental infection from reaching your bloodstream with an emergency root canal procedure. Contact our experts today to learn more!