It’s important that you don’t ignore your mouth when it’s trying to tell you that something is off. Of course, not everyone experiences 
symptoms or obvious issues, which is why it’s so important that you always maintain those routine checkups with one of our North Attleboro, MA, dentists every six months.
While we can easily pinpoint signs of an infection and determine whether you need root canal treatment it’s also important that you understand the telltale signs that something is wrong and when you need to seek immediate dental care. Symptoms that warrant an immediate trip to the dentist include:
- A toothache
- Sudden or increased tooth sensitivity (usually to hot or cold foods and drinks)
- Tooth darkening (a sign that the roots of the tooth are dying)
- Swollen, tender gums surrounding the infected tooth
- The development of a bump on the gums (known as an abscess), which may be painful
When in doubt, call our North Attleboro, MA, general dentists to find out if your symptoms warrant a dental checkup. A toothache all by itself is considered a dental emergency. Even though it might not necessarily mean that you have to get root canal treatment it could be trying to tell you that you have a cavity. The sooner the problem is addressed and treated the less likely it will be to cause more significant and widespread damage.
What is root canal treatment?
Whether you are scheduled for an upcoming root canal procedure or you are just curious to know more about what it entails, you’ve come to the right place. This procedure is performed when bacteria has entered the inside of the tooth and infected the dental pulp, a soft mass that contains nerves, connective tissue and blood vessels. Since the pulp is made up of nerves it comes as no surprise that one of the first problems people complain about is a toothache.
The goals of root canal therapy are to remove the source of the pain (e.g. the dental pulp) and the infection to preserve as much of the tooth as possible. After the procedure is complete we will also decide whether we need to place a dental crown over the tooth.
Here in North Attleboro, MA, we believe that everyone should receive quality, full-service dentistry that they can trust. Whether you are dealing with a dental emergency or you just need a simple teeth cleaning, turn to our caring and knowledgeable dental team for help.