Recognizing a Dental Emergency with Your Root Canal

Root canals are one of the most-performed dental procedures. While effective for rescuing a tooth that may otherwise be lost, occasionally, problems can arise after treatment. Here is a look at a few issues that can come up after your procedure that should be handled as an emergency.

You are experiencing severe pain.

It is relatively normal to have some pain after a root canal, but it should be more like mild discomfort that is easily handled with over-the-counter pain relievers. If you feel intense, severe pain once the anesthetic wears off when you get home, it is best to get in touch with the dentist to get their opinion on the situation.

You find the dental canal filling in your food.

If the root canal filling falls out, it is imperative that you get to the dentist as quickly as possible. You may not necessarily have pain, but you may feel sensitivity if the air hits your tooth or if you eat something cold or hot. You can use a temporary filling or some food-grade wax to cover the opening in your tooth. This can help deter sensitivity pain and keep food particles from getting inside the canal.

Your gums swell severely around the root canal site.

You can expect a small amount of inflammation around the tooth that just had a root canal placed. This general inflammation should subside after a few days as the irritated ligaments and tissue go back to normal. If beyond the first few days after your root canal, you are dealing with a major amount of swelling, it is best to get to the dentist. You may have issues with infection around the tooth that needs to be handled so it can properly heal after the procedure. Also, be attentive to anything that looks like pus or infection or small pimples around the tooth as these can also be signs of an infection.

Save Your Tooth with a Root Canal in Thornton, CO

When done by a professional with enough experience, a root canal will rarely ever cause you any issue and can essentially save your tooth from extraction. Reach out to us at Colorado Root Canal Specialist if you think you need a root canal or have issues with an existing root canal.