A toothache is never a good thing. Even when it builds and fades, the pain is often on your mind. When will it come back, and more importantly, what does it mean? A toothache is often a sign that you have an infected tooth. Without the right treatment, that toothache can get worse until the tooth itself needs to be removed.
Don’t let it get that bad. Call our Winnipeg, MB dental office today at 204-977-8515 and make your next appointment. Your Winnipeg dentists can determine if your tooth is infected. If so, they can use a root canal procedure to save your tooth. This also ends the toothache that’s been bothering you.
When A Root Canal Is Needed
Unfortunately, everyone has some harmful bacteria in their mouths. Brushing and flossing regularly helps keep them under control because they survive by eating tiny food particles left behind when you eat and drink.
Why are they harmful? Because they produce an acid. When these bacteria are thriving, all that acid burns holes in your enamel called cavities. But since your enamel has no nerve endings, you might not know you have any cavities.
This lets the bacteria keep going until the cavity breaks through to the dental pulp. This is the area inside a tooth where all the blood vessels and nerve endings are found. Once this gets infected, you have a bad toothache. Your enamel also starts to grow brittle as the infection spreads.
That’s when you need a root canal. It can get rid of that infection, end the toothache, and stop your tooth from growing brittle.
Root Canal Myths To Debunk
There are many stubborn myths out there about root canal procedures. Here are some of them and the facts to set the record straight.
MYTH: Root canals are very painful.
FACT: Typically, a root canal is no more painful than getting a filling placed.
This may have been true a long time ago when anesthesia was underdeveloped compared to today. But things have advanced a lot since then. Modern root canals are no more painful than getting tooth decay repaired with a cavity. That’s due to local anesthetic, modern technology, and modern training.
MYTH: Root canals make your tooth weak.
FACT: An infected tooth is weaker before a root canal procedure even begins.
Root canals usually end with a dental crown being put over the tooth. Since dental crowns help strengthen teeth, some people believe a root canal procedure makes your tooth weak. However, that’s not true. The infection is what leads to making your enamel weaker and more brittle. A root canal uses a dental crown because the tooth is already weaker.
MYTH: Root canals lead to an increased risk of cancer and arthritis.
FACT: Root canals remove infections, not cause any.
Long ago, one dentist published his own study saying there was a link between root canal procedures and all kinds of illnesses, including cancer and arthritis. Since then, that study has been debunked and proven wrong. In fact, root canals make you healthier because they can remove infections in a tooth before it can spread.
How Root Canal Procedures Usually Look
Although everyone’s root canal can be slightly different, here’s how a typical root canal procedure from our Winnipeg dentists will look like.
- Digital X-rays are taken to locate the infection inside your tooth.
- The tooth and surrounding area are numbed using a local anesthetic, then thoroughly cleaned.
- Our Winnipeg dentist makes a small opening in your tooth so they can reach the infection in your dental pulp.
- Using special tools, they carefully remove the infected dental pulp. This gets rid of the infection.
- If there is enough space left behind, an inert material is used to fill up the extra space.
- You get a beautiful dental crown placed over that tooth.
Call Lakewood Dental Centre today at 204-977-8515 or use our online form to schedule your next appointment for a dental exam. If our Winnipeg dentists find anything with the exam, you can get a root canal to get rid of tooth pain and save your smile.
Car accidents are traumatic events, and they can hurt an otherwise great smile. That’s when you need to call our Winnipeg, MB dental office at 204-977-8515 for a restorative dentistry appointment. From dental crowns to root canals, you can restore your smile.
Talk about “root canals” with someone, and you’re probably not going to see them light up with joy. A root canal is a serious dental restoration, but it’s one that can relieve toothaches caused by bacterial infections inside a tooth.
That’s why you need to call Lakewood Dental Centre today at 204-977-8515 if you are having tooth pain. Dr. McDermid and Dr. Dhillon can use digital X-rays to help determine if that pain is being caused by an infection. This is very important because you might need to have that tooth removed if the infection gets too bad.
What Is A Root Canal?
Your mouth is home to harmful bacteria. When they are found on your gums, they can lead to gum disease. Find them on your teeth, and you could be facing cavities. But what happens if they get inside a tooth?
Inside your tooth is dental pulp, home to the nerve endings and blood vessels for that tooth. Bacteria infecting your dental pulp often creates a toothache. It might come and go, or it might be constant, but it hurts. This infection also begins to turn your enamel brittle. If the infection is never removed, you will likely lose the tooth.
That’s where a root canal can help. In this restorative dentistry treatment, Dr. McDermid or Dr. Dhillon will normally follow these steps:
- The area is numbed using a local anesthetic.
- A small opening is made in the enamel to reach the dental pulp.
- The infected dental pulp is gently removed.
- The space left over is filled with an inert material.
- A dental crown is placed over the tooth to seal it and make sure it’s stronger.
What Are The Signs You Might Need A Root Canal?
Since the infection lies below your enamel, it’s not something you can immediately see. Then how do you know if you need a root canal? A digital X-ray is normally used to see the infected dental pulp, but here are some signs to look out for.
- Tooth pain when you chew.
- Tooth pain when enjoying hot or cold foods.
- A toothache that comes and goes.
- Swollen or tender gums around one tooth in particular.
- A discolored tooth (that’s not due to stains like the rest of your teeth).
If you are experiencing any of these problems, call us today at 204-977-8515 and schedule an appointment.
Tips For Not Needing A Root Canal
Root canals do a very important thing. By removing that infection, they can stop whatever pain it was causing. It can also save the tooth. However, not needing a root canal is probably a good call. Here are some ways you can lower your risk of needing a root canal.
– Brush and floss regularly.
The bacteria behind these tooth infections (and cavities, and gum disease) survive by eating tiny particles of food trapped on your teeth and gums. That’s why regular brushing and flossing is so important to your dental health — they can get rid of some food particles to help control those harmful bacteria.
– Get a dental crown if you have a cracked tooth.
If you had an accident or sports injury, you might have cracked your tooth. Sometimes, these don’t hurt. You might be tempted to ignore it and just get on with your life. However, that’s a bad idea. Any such crack can create an opening to your dental pulp. This makes it easier for bacteria to get inside that tooth and infect it.
Instead, you can get a dental crown. This cap looks like a real tooth. It seals up the visible part of the tooth, making it incredibly difficult for bacteria to slip through any crack on that part.
– Repair any cavities as soon as possible.
One way bacteria reach your dental pulp is when a cavity is ignored for too long. Tooth decay keeps growing until those bacteria are removed. Eventually, it can grow deep enough to break through to the dental pulp, allowing those bacteria to infect it. That’s why it’s so important to repair cavities with dental fillings and dental crowns as soon as you can.
– Visit a dentist regularly for dental exams.
Call our Winnipeg dental office today at 204-977-8515 or use our online form to schedule your next dental exam. A cavity can’t be repaired until you know it’s there, and that’s what a dental exam can uncover. And if you are having any tooth pain, call us and explain what’s going on. Dr. Dhillon and Dr. McDermid are here to help you.