Symptoms of an Infected Tooth

Root canal therapy is a treatment for an infected tooth, but how do you know if you have an infected tooth? Look for these symptoms:

  • Spontaneous toothache
  • Severe toothache
  • Discolored tooth
  • Pimple-like sore on the gums
  • Persistent bad breath
  • Recurring foul taste
  • Discharge oozing from tooth or gums
  • Elevated warmth near a tooth
  • Fever

For most people, the key symptom of an infected tooth is toothache. The toothache linked to an infected tooth happens spontaneously. You don’t need to bite down on the tooth or drink a cold beverage. The tooth just hurts. And it hurts badly, so badly that you can’t sleep or you wake up from sleeping. You might even feel the pain throughout your body.

But some people have an infected tooth and never get a toothache, so you have to watch for other symptoms. Often, an infected tooth will grow dark in color, much darker than its neighbors. You might also notice a pimple-like sore on your gums. It might be burst open, and the pus oozing from it can give you bad breath or a foul taste in your mouth. You might also notice the area around the affected tooth feels warmer than other parts on your gums. Fever combined with a toothache is a good sign that you likely have an infected tooth.

Dangers of an Infected Tooth

An infected tooth should be treated as a dental emergency. That’s because if left untreated it can lead to serious complications as the infection can spread to:

  • Gums
  • Bone
  • Other teeth
  • Sinuses
  • Blood
  • Heart
  • Brain

The spreading infection can lead to the loss of several teeth in addition to the one that’s already infected. In addition, the spreading infection can be deadly. Sometimes, damage to the heart remains even after the infection is treated.

How Root Canal Therapy Works

You probably know that most infections are treated with antibiotics. We can sometimes treat an infected tooth the same way, but it’s at best a temporary solution. The tooth will soon get reinfected unless it is properly treated.

Root canal therapy works by removing the infected part of the tooth, the pulp. Torrance, CA dentist Dr. Webber will then replace the pulp with a type of filling that resists infection, but is otherwise similar to the pulp. In some cases, Dr. Webber might want to shore up the tooth with a support structure like a post. Then the tooth is closed with a filling or dental crown, depending on how much the tooth was weakened.

Does Root Canal Therapy Hurt?

We know: root canal therapy is the cliche of a painful dental procedure. It earned that reputation long ago when dental anesthesia was unreliable or nonexistent. Today, it’s a much more comfortable procedure. Most patients find that with local anesthesia, modern root canal therapy is about the same as getting a filling. Their main memory is of how much the procedure relieves their pain. You will quickly find that you feel more comfortable after your root canal therapy than you felt before.

If you are anxious about the procedure, however, Dr. Webber offers sedation dentistry to help relieve your anxiety. It can help you be more relaxed during your procedure, which makes it more comfortable.

Do You Need Root Canal Therapy in Torrance, CA?

Do you know or suspect that you have an infected tooth? If so, then Dr. Webber is ready to help with root canal therapy. Please call (310) 534-3477 today for an appointment at Simply Smiles in Torrance, CA.