Taking care of your teeth with adequate dental hygiene and regular teeth cleanings and dental exams is important in order to avoid severe tooth decay, which can lead to infection of the nerve, or pulp, of your tooth. Unfortunately, avoiding a tooth infection is not always possible. A traumatic injury to your mouth can damage a tooth to the point where it allows bacteria to enter the sensitive pulp chamber inside. When this occurs, Hilton Head Island dentist Dr. Timothy Gross can provide root canal therapy to help avoid an unnecessary tooth extraction. When a more complicated root canal is needed, Dr. Gross refers to the area’s most experienced root canal specialists. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Gross recognizes when you will be best treated in his office or at the office of a specialist.
Symptoms of an Infected Tooth
Tooth infections may not have any detectable symptoms at first, but they can be identified with digital x-rays during your regular office visits. As the infection progresses, you may notice some more obvious signs of infection, such as:
- Pain when chewing or biting
- Increased tooth sensitivity
- Localized gum or face swelling
- Changes in tooth color
- The appearance of an abscess
If you begin to experience any of these symptoms, it is important that you contact our office to schedule an evaluation as soon as possible.
The Root Canal Process
Many people avoid going to a dentist for root canal therapy, even when they are experiencing serious signs of infection, because they have heard horror stories about the procedure being long and painful. It is important to know that with modern anesthetics and techniques, a root canal is just as comfortable as a dental filling. However, if you are anxious about root canal therapy, Dr. Gross can discuss your options for sedation dentistry.
Root canal therapy removes infection, bacteria, and debris from the inner layer of your tooth. When cleaning of the tooth root is completed, the access hole is filled with a bonded composite material and covered with a dental crown. Covering the tooth with a crown helps guard against repeat infection, and also helps strengthen the treated tooth.
A root canal is often the only way to remove infection and prevent more extensive dental work. If you have symptoms of an infected tooth, Dr. Gross can evaluate the extent of the infection and determine whether or not a root canal is necessary to preserve your smile.
If you have further questions about root canal therapy, please contact Dr. Timothy Gross today to schedule an evaluation. We serve patients in the Hilton Head Island and Bluffton areas of South Carolina.
