Having a root canal can be painful. But once it is finished, everything would be alright. Well, the majority of people who have had root canals in the past did not experience any complications. However, infections still occur. This article will focus on old root canal infection symptoms. If you fear that you have an infection from a root canal done a while ago, click here to read more.
What is a root canal?
A root canal is a dental procedure that involves eliminating all the bacteria in the infected root canal to save the rest of the natural tooth. The process of a root canal revolves around removing the infected pulp of the tooth, cleaning the inner part of the tooth and filling and sealing the hole back up again.
What are the symptoms of an infected root canal?
Some signs and symptoms can be indicative of infection in the site of a root canal. Even if the root canal procedure was done some time in the past, there is still a chance of infection developing, especially if good oral habits have not been practiced by the person.
Pain. When there is pain in any part of the body, it can be a clear sign that something is not right. Pain can be a sign that there is infection inside the tooth that has a root canal
Swelling of the gumline. An infection inside a root canal can affect the gumline. There can be swelling and tenderness to the gumline when the inside of the root canal is infected. In most cases of swelling and tenderness, it is mostly localized to the area of the affected tooth, this is how you can be certain that an infection in the root canal is the cause.
Dental abscess. A dental abscess can cause extreme pain. There might have been some infected dental pulp that was left inside the tooth by accident, and this is what is causing the abscess in the affected tooth with the root canal.
Darkening of the tooth. The color of the tooth may be affected if there is an infection inside it. The color may change to a dark yellow or brownish color.
Chronic bad breath. Bad breath that does not go away, even after brushing is another sign that the affected tooth may be rotting from the inside.
What to do next
Now that you are aware of the signs to look out for, if you have experienced any one of these signs, especially around the tooth that had a root canal in the past, it would be a wise decision to contact your dentist. There is a chance that you might have to have retreatment for the root canal if your dentist would find infection in or around the tooth.
Dental Excellence in Woden may ask you to undergo some x-rays to determine what the cause of the problem is. After that, they will be able to tell you if the pain is being caused by a root canal, and they can also discuss other old root canal infection symptoms with you as well.