Tooth damage can occur in a number of stages and in a number of ways. Our preference is to see patients right away should an uncomfortable dental situation occur. The sooner you see your dentist, the more likely it is that tooth damage can be repaired with conservative care such as a filling or dental crown. If an infection develops in the nerve of a tooth, the most appropriate form of care may be root canal therapy.
Root canals are often associated with discomfort. Root canal therapy itself does not cause pain. What causes pain is the infection in pulp or nerve tissue. In many cases, patients are forced into dental care by unrelenting, intense pain. The reason that a dental infection is so painful is that infected dental pulp tissue lies within stiff and rigid tooth; unlike the rest of the body where an infected area can swell and enlarge, infected dental pulp is constrained to within the tooth. Therefore intense pressure builds up in the tooth causing excruciating pain. Pain is not the only complication of a dental infection. If not treated, diseased pulp can lead to an abscess or even tooth loss.