Root Canal Symptoms for Hawthorne, NJ Dentistry

Signs You WILL Need Root Canal Therapy

1. You have moderate to severe lingering "toothache" pain when drinking hot liquids or eating hot foods. This pain may also be caused with cold liquids or foods.
2. You have pain when chewing or biting on a tooth that may also be sensitive to touch or manipulation and may be associated with slight swelling.
3. Your toothache pain wakes you up at night and you most likely feel the need to take some form of pain medication to relieve your suffering.
4. You have a bubble on your gum that looks like a pimple and when pressed in the region may release blood or pus (sinus tract or fistula)
5. You have pain that starts at one tooth and then radiates or is referred to other regions of your upper or lower jaw, or head. A common example is a lower molar (back tooth) causing pain that refers to your ear on the same side so as to simulate an ear ache.

Symptoms That Indicate That You DO NOT Need Root Canal Therapy:

1. You have pain when you chew and/or drink hot or cold liquids. The pain is mild in nature and not prolonged.
   1. Many times this pain is felt after a recent dental procedure such as a filling or a crown. A rule of thumb is that if the pain does not subside within a 6 week period of time or becomes increasingly severe, then a root canal will be required.
2. You have pain after consuming chilled beverages, but the pain subsides right away or within a few seconds.
   1. This is a normal response and may occur regularly in life.
3. You have pain when you eat sweets, but the pain doesn't last very long.
   1. You likely have a cavity or a fragmented or loose filling in the root surface, that is visible because of retracting gums. Having a root canal would only help if there is very deep decay, which reaches all the way to the nerve or pulpal tissue.
4. You have swelling on the gum area around the tooth. The tooth may be sensitive to touch however there is no pain when drinking hot or cold liquids. The pain may be severe but when you brush or poke around the area the pain is relieved.
   1. Pain of this nature most often represents a periodontal abscess, not a root canal symptom. Your dentist or endodontist will take an x-ray of the affected site and perform various tests to determine the health of the tooth's pulpal tissue. A normal response indicates the problem is related to the gums, not the interior of your tooth.
5. Pain is felt in a group of teeth, instead of a single tooth. This is generalized pain, typically made worse when walking down stairs or jumping.
   1. This type of pain is usually reflective of sinusitus and root canal is not required.
6. You have momentary pain to cold air.
   1. Because the pain is only momentary, it is still within normal limits -- however watch that the situation does not worsen.
7. You experience sharp pain when biting down on a tooth usually in a specific way.
   1. Your tooth may be cracked. This might lead to a root canal, but also will call for a full coronal restoration in order to prevent the crack from forming again or getting bigger.
8. You have electric type pain -- sharp and shooting, similar to that of chewing on tin foil.
   1. This is galvanic pain. It is typically related to metal fillings in your mouth. If it becomes a consistent problem, see your dentist and you may consider having your filling changed to a non-metal filling.

Providing Hawthorne, NJ dentistry services for Ho-Ho-Kus and Oradell, NJ.