Root Canal Treatment
A root canal is treatment for infections in tooth pulp, the innermost layer of your teeth. Endodontists and dentists do about 15 million root canals in the United States every year. Typically, root canals are painless treatments. You can avoid needing a root canal by brushing your teeth after meals, flossing daily and having regular dental checkups.
- Tooth pain that doesn’t go away. Lots of things make your teeth hurt. But pain that’s deep in a tooth or that spreads to your jaw, face or other teeth may mean you have an infection..
- Pressure hurts. If your tooth hurts when you eat or touch it, it may mean something damaged the nerves around your tooth pulp.
- Swollen gums. If you have an infected tooth, your gums may swell or feel tender.
- Pimple on your gums. Infected teeth can create pimples or boils on your gums that ooze smelly pus..
- Discolored tooth. Tooth pulp infection keeps blood from getting to your tooth. That makes your tooth turn dark..