Many people have anxiety about trips to the dentist, to the point where some people struggle with odontophobia, otherwise known as dentophobia. This phobia often surrounds specific procedures, including root canals, which people often fear because of the various things they mistakenly believe about what the procedure entails.
In reality, root canals help preserve dental health and are designed to reduce pain and the risk of other oral problems. This also means you shouldn’t put it off, as doing so increases the risk of other problems that could endanger your overall health. Let’s learn more about how root canals work, when people need them, and what can happen if you delay treatment.
Dr. Kyle Kern and his team assist residents of Newberg, Oregon, with a range of dental needs, helping those with anxieties relax while we improve their dental health through treatments such as root canals.
Your teeth have layers: enamel forms the outer shell, and dentin lies beneath, protecting the pulp, which is filled with tissue and nerves. When bacteria collect on teeth, they can combine with sugars to erode the enamel, causing small holes to form. This allows bacteria to reach into the pulp, causing cavities. You may not notice the effects until the bacteria reach the pulp.
When the pulp becomes infected, it leads to tooth pain, sensitivity, and, over time, tooth loss. Root canals work to remove the infected pulp to prevent further damage and save as much of the remaining tooth as possible.
If your teeth have infected pulp that needs a root canal, there are symptoms to look out for, including tooth discoloration, pimples or boils that form on the gums (possibly containing pus), swollen jaws, loose teeth, heat and cold sensitivity, and chipped or cracked teeth.
Pain often accompanies tooth problems, and pain from problems that require root canals can be either occasional or persistent. The pain can also be referred to other areas, such as your jaw or other teeth.
Avoiding a trip to the dentist for treatment for long periods, or worse, not getting a root canal at all, can allow the infection to spread to other teeth and other areas of your body:
Infections can spread to the face and neck, and severe infections can eventually cause lasting damage to remote parts of the body.
Root canals sound much scarier than they are; it’s a process that removes infection and reduces pain. Putting off the procedure only makes the problem worse, so schedule an appointment with Dr. Kern as soon as possible to eliminate the infection and improve your oral health.
