The Symptoms of a Root Canal

The predominant symptom of a tooth requiring root canal treatment is pain, and boy can it be intense! Luckily for us as patients there are a few tell-tale signs that can help us predict whether that tooth really needs this kind of attention, or a less-intrusive treatment.

Firstly, we should outline what a root canal entails. This procedure involves opening up a tooth in order to remove the infected root within. Once this has been removed, a trained dentist can either pack it temporarily with an antiseptic dressing (to prevent further infection forming) or they can fill the canal where the root once lay with natural latex known as 'Gutta Percha'. This makes the tooth far less likely to cause any problems as its root cannot become infected again.

Now, what we are looking for initially are signs of an infection. Luckily an infection is easily treated with a course of antibiotics, but if the root inside has been affected then this will require root canal treatment to prevent it from becoming infected again.

Think about whether you can locate the source of the pain. Is it in one tooth in particular, or does it run all the way down your jaw? Jaw pain can indicate a bad infection, but also impacted wisdom teeth (especially if the pain runs down your neck or into your ear). For this you will need an x ray and possible surgical extraction.

Once you have located the pain, gently tap the suspected tooth with your nail. If it hurts then this tooth is likely to be problematic. Look again: is the gum around the tooth/teeth swollen, red or shiny? Swollen gums are particularly indicative of an infection, but not necessarily of the need for a root canal.

Next, think about the kind of pain you are experiencing. Is it sharp and piercing, or dull, heavy and throbbing? The latter usually indicates infection, especially if it becomes worse at night (waking you up) or gets worse if you bend over to tie your shoelace.

If you tick all of the boxes for symptoms mentioned above then it's a good idea to book in to see your dentist or dental healthcare professional as soon as possible. They are likely to first prescribe you a short course of antibiotics to bring the infection right down to a minimum. You should then book another appointment for a root canal one week later, or whenever the course of antibiotics is finished. This can either be carried out in one go, or over two appointments (if the antiseptic dressing mentioned earlier is used).

Toothache and dental pain can be difficult to read, when you are not dentally trained, but there are some significant symptoms such as throbbing that gets worse if you bend down and wakes you up at night. Knowing what these symptoms are and how to act can make a huge difference to how much pain you feel, and how successful your root canal treatment turns out to be.

By Lucy Wallace