What Will a Dentist Do To Treat a Toothache?

Toothaches come in many different forms, but are usually a sign that something needs to be checked by a dentist. When it comes to what actually causes toothaches, some common ones are gum infections, cavities, teeth grinding, infections, cracked teeth, and damaged fillings.

What Can a Dentist Do for a Toothache?

A dentist will first perform an examination and ask about your symptoms. He/she may also take a dental X-ray to find out whether there are any issues going on beneath the gums. The dentist will then recommend a suitable treatment depending on the severity of your situation.

Here are the 3 most common dentist-prescribed treatments for toothaches:

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When Do You Know If You Need Root Canal Treatment?

Root canals are used to treat, repair and save teeth that are badly infected or decayed. During the procedure the infected nerve is removed, as well as any damaged tissue. This eliminates pain, and halts the spread of infection to your jaw bone, or in worst case scenarios, your central nervous system. Although your dentist will ultimately determine if you need a root canal, knowing what the signs are can help you seek prompt medical attention and avoid a more serious problem.

Tooth Pain or Jaw Pain

Tooth pain is one of the most obvious signs that something is amiss, and shouldn’t be ignored. If you are suffering from a tooth ache or jaw pain, it’s important to visit your dentist as soon as possible in order to determine the cause, and make sure you aren’t in need of a root canal. Because tooth pain is usually cause by inflammation of the nerve in the tooth, this is a common sign of advanced infection and should be dealt with very quickly.

Lumps Or Swelling On Gums

If you find a lump on your gum that wasn’t there before, it could be an abscess and could indicate that you are in need of a root canal. Although in some cases the lump will be accompanied by pain and throbbing, in advanced cases the nerve might already be dead, and the infection is seeping into the gum. This should be taken very seriously, as the bacteria can make it’s way into the central nervous system leading to hospitalization, and in some cases death.

Emergency Root Canal In Rochester, NY

If you have been suffering from tooth pain, jaw pain, or have discovered a lump on your gums, you might need a root canal. Scheduling an appointment with your dentist is the best way to determine what is needed and avoid more serious complications.

We are located in Rochester and offer all local residents our services if you need an examination to determine if you need root canal treatment in Rochester, NY. We offer this on an emergency basis as well because the delaying treatment is not advisable as discussed above.

Why It Is Important To Have Loose Fillings Treated Right Away

If you are like many people in the Rochester, NY area, you probably have at least one or two fillings in your teeth. What you may not realize is that fillings do not last forever. Over time, they can come loose and fall out. If this happens to you, it is important that you call our dental office right away for an appointment.

A loose filling needs to be treated immediately to avoid a painful dental emergency from occurring.

The most common issue that can be caused by a filling that has come loose is infection. When a filling falls out, this exposes the interior of the tooth to the air. The bacteria in your mouth can easily get inside the tooth and infect the pulp. Once this happens, the only thing you can do is have a root canal procedure performed.

An infected tooth that is not treated right away can cause many serious health problems. An infection in a tooth is like an infection anywhere in the body. If it is not contained and eliminated, the infection can spread to other parts of your body. Without the proper treatment, this infection which started in your mouth can cause many health problems or even prove to be fatal.

As soon as you notice that a filling has come loose, call us and make an appointment. Even if you are not experiencing any pain or discomfort in that area, you still need to get treatment right away. If a damaged tooth does not hurt, this is not actually a good sign. Instead, it can indicate that the nerve of the tooth has died.

Fortunately, if you get treatment quickly enough, you can avoid these problems. Replacing a filling is a simple procedure that we can perform in less than an hour. We will clean the affected area to make sure that there is no infection or contamination. Then, we will simply place a new filling in the hole left by the old one.

Do not wait until a filling actually falls out to give us a call. As soon as you notice that one of your fillings seems to be loose, let us know. It is better to take preemptive action than to wait for a problem to develop.

With our help, you can make sure that your teeth are as strong and healthy as possible. Loose fillings are a fact of life, and with prompt treatment, they will not cause you any problems.

Saving a Dying Tooth With Root Canal Therapy

Underneath the hard enamel of your teeth there are many living nerves. When your teeth decay there is the risk that the pulp and the nerves can become infected, killing the tooth off. One way to save a dying tooth is with root canal therapy.

Root canals are incredibly complex. Before your dentist performs the procedure he will want to examine your tooth and perform an x-ray to assess the extent of the damage. You may then be given a course of antibiotics in order to clear up any infection that is currently present. After this, you will be given a local anesthetic so that the dentist can work on your tooth without causing too much discomfort.

Your dentist will then open up the top of the tooth, and remove any pulp inside. If you have an abscess, it will be drained at the same time.

Once the inside of the tooth has been cleared out, the next step is to hollow out the roots and then fill them to prevent further infection.

It is essential that the roots are filled in properly, because if they are not then more bacteria could get into the root canals, and they could become infected. Infection of a hollowed out canal is even worse than infection of the canal when it is still intact, because the dead, hollow root canal is an anaerobic environment and it does not get any blood supply, therefore the body’s immune system cannot tackle the infection.

In some cases, the treatment may require several sessions to hollow out all of the roots. If this is the case then the dentist will carry out a temporary filling in between sessions, to protect the tooth from infection. They will also provide antibiotics if necessary.

Depending on the reason that the root canal therapy was necessary, the hollowed out tooth may become discolored. Talk to your dentist if you are not happy with the way that the tooth looks. They will be able to offer advice on the best ways to treat the discoloration without damaging the tooth.

There are a number of cosmetic procedures that may be suitable, but you will need to wait for your mouth to heal after the root canal treatment before any of these are carried out. That could take a while if you need more than one session to fully fill the tooth.

If you need a local Rochester, NY dentist to do your root canal contact the dentists at emergencydentistrochesterny.com for a consultation and examination.

Do You Know An Emergency Dentist In Rochester?

Why You Should Have A Rochester Emergency Dentist On Speed Dial

In my line of work, you see a lot of accidents and emergency situations. A person can’t be prepared for every situation, after all, and sometimes accidents happen. But the worst situations occur when teeth and mouth injuries could have been repaired less expensively if the patient had gotten to a local emergency dentist in time.

One such accident involved a patient’s chipped front tooth. Chipped is the technical term, what had actually happened was that he’d tripped and fallen, and his right front tooth literally broke in half. Now, had he gotten the tooth to our Rochester dental office quickly, I could have used a dental epoxy to essentially glue the tooth back together. The tooth would have been as good as new, more or less, and it would have cost less than one hundred dollars to fix his broken tooth.

Unfortunately, the patient waited until the next day to come in during regular office hours. By that time, the tooth piece had dried out, and could not be epoxied back together. It was unfortunate, but the patient required a full root canal and a replacement tooth, which was much more costly than one hundred dollars.

There are many situations that happen in a similar vein. It’s always unfortunate when a patient can get less expensive care rather than having to have full dental surgery performed, and yet the patient chooses to wait. When you have a tooth injury, waiting doesn’t do anything other than allow the injury to worsen.

That’s why you should always have the name and number of an emergency dentist on hand. You never know when you might trip and fall, and cause damage to your mouth or teeth. Or have something come flying at you. There are a number of possible dangers in the world, don’t let them get the best of you.

Do You Need An Emergency Root Canal?

What Are The Signs That It Is Time For An Emergency Root Canal?

Knowing that your dentist has you covered for dental emergencies is very important. However, many patients are not sure when it is time for an emergency dental visit.

While root canals are common procedures the timing of the treatment matters to avoid the loss of a tooth or major dental work.

Here are some signs that it time for an emergency root canal.

What Is A Root Canal?

Teeth are made up of the hard exterior portion of the tooth that we see when we smile as well as the soft tissue within. When teeth become diseased and an infection sets in, that soft tissue is affected. It may become inflamed as it fights the infection, causing great pain. If the infection persists long enough, that soft tissue as well as the underlying bone tissue may die and decay which can lead to the loss of the tooth.

During a root canal procedure, the dentist removes the affected pulp within the tooth. The area is then cleaned and the pulp canal is sealed. This procedure is performed more than 15 million times each year in the United States.

Signs That An Emergency Root Canal Is Necessary

When a tooth is infected, there is increased sensitivity to temperatures, both hot and cold. As the infection worsens and moves to the bone, the area surrounding the tooth often becomes tender to the touch. Chewing food may trigger episodic pain. When left untreated, swelling may occur in the face as well as within the oral region.

If you experience these symptoms, you should call for a regular dental appointment as soon as possible. However, when the pain does not subside and continually increases while facial swelling does not subside, it is time to call for emergency dental care.

Is The Root Canal Done Right Away?

In some cases, an emergency root canal may be done immediately. However, depending upon the extent of the infection, the pain may be managed, the infection treated, and the root canal scheduled for a later date. The dentist will make the determination after an examination.

The best course of action is to act before your mouth begins to hurt. The chances of keeping your tooth are better the earlier treatment is sought. However, when a severe toothache occurs, it is best to come in as soon as possible to take care of the problem.

The good news is that we do emergency root canal treatment in Rochester, NY and are available 24/7.