Emergency Root Canal: How Serious Is An Infected Root Canal?

If you have an emergency root canal, you’re in trouble—but it’s not necessarily the end of the world. An infected tooth that requires an emergency root canal is something to get checked out ASAP, but your dentist will be able to help you resolve the infection quickly and with little pain involved (especially compared to other dental procedures). Here’s what you need to know about emergency root canals and how they affect your health.

What Is An Emergency Root Canal?

An emergency root canal occurs when a tooth’s nerve becomes damaged and infected. The first symptom of an emergency root canal can be excruciating pain, which may grow increasingly more intense over time. The pain will typically come from the tooth itself or may radiate to other parts of your mouth. You may also experience swelling and discoloration around the tooth, or pus coming out of the gum line. An emergency root canal is often the result of trauma to the tooth – such as wisdom tooth extraction near me – but it can also be caused by a bacterial infection that has spread through the pulp chamber, by improper dental work, or even by grinding your teeth at night. Left untreated, it can lead to severe complications like necrosis of tissue surrounding the nerve and eventual loss of the tooth entirely.

What Are The Symptoms Of An Infected Root Canal?

The signs and symptoms of an infected tooth are often vague and difficult to notice. They may include a sore throat, fever, swollen lymph nodes, headache, or pain when chewing certain foods. If you experience these symptoms after visiting the dentist, it’s best to get in touch with them as soon as possible for professional advice. Generally, two scenarios can lead to infection of the dental pulp (the inside of the tooth): 1) bacteria enter through a crack in the tooth’s enamel; 2) bacteria enter through the gum tissue surrounding the tooth during dental treatment. If you have had a wisdom tooth extraction near me recently, please contact your dentist before going to bed so they can check for any sign of infection in your teeth.

How Long Does An Emergency Root Canal Take To Heal?

How long will it take for the tooth to heal after a root canal? The time it takes for your tooth to heal after a root is determined by how severe the infection was, how well you take care of the tooth post-procedure, and your overall health. In general, it takes anywhere from 1-3 months for the procedure to be completely healed. If you have any pain or sensitivity in the tooth post-procedure, that would be considered abnormal and you should contact your dentist as soon as possible.

Is There Anything I Can Do To Prevent An Infection?

The best way to prevent an infection is by not having the tooth removed in the first place, but this is often not possible. If you need to have a wisdom tooth extracted near me, make sure to see a dentist with experience extracting teeth. They will be able to assess any potential risks for infection before performing the procedure and will help minimize any risk of infection occurring.

If your dentist does detect that you’re at risk for an infection after your wisdom teeth extraction near me, they can prescribe antibiotics or recommend other treatments as needed.

When Should I See A Dentist?

An emergency root canal is a dental procedure used to help save a tooth that has been badly damaged by an infection. It involves the dentist removing the diseased pulp tissue and cleaning out the area before filling it with a filling material. This may sound like something you can put off until your next dentist appointment, but there are risks associated with not getting an emergency root canal right away. Infection can spread throughout your jaw and cause complications, such as sepsis or death. According to The American Association of Endodontists, it’s important to get in touch with your dentist right away if you experience any symptoms such as severe pain or swelling, fever, chills, or persistent redness on or around the tooth.

What Are The Risks Of Not Getting An Emergency Root Canal?

Root canal infection, also known as acute apical periodontitis, can lead to some complications. The most common complication of a root canal infection is tooth abscess formation. Tooth abscesses are the result of pus and bacteria collecting beneath the gum line. Abscesses can range from mild to severe in size and can affect any or all teeth in the mouth. Severe cases may require surgical intervention and hospitalization for drainage and antibiotics. Other potential complications include chronic pain, necrosis (tissue death) of the jaw bone surrounding the affected tooth, sinusitis, osteomyelitis (infection of the bone), endocarditis (infection of the heart), and meningitis (infection of membranes surrounding the brain).