How do I know if I need a root canal or a filling?

When you need dental fillings, you may have a throbbing pain in your tooth, especially when you chew. When you need a root canal, the pain can be much more severe, and that pain may worsen when your tooth is exposed to hot or cold temperatures.

Can I just get a filling instead of root canal?

If the infection has seeped into the tooth's pulp, then root canal therapy becomes unavoidable. On the contrary, fillings can be used instead of a root canal if the tooth has a smaller cavity or a minor decay, which has not yet reached the pulp.

How does a dentist check if you need a root canal?

The dentist will determine the need for a root canal through one or several of the following methods: x-rays, the cavity test, selective anesthesia (to identify where the source of pain is when the patient doesn't know), thermal and electric testing, or by tapping on the problem tooth.

How long can you have a cavity before it needs a root canal?

Some people have softer tooth enamel than others, which makes it easier for bacteria or acid to penetrate the tooth. As a broad timeline, on average, it can take anywhere from six months to four or five years before a cavity needs treatment. The conditions of your mouth change daily.

What are the symptoms of a root canal infection?

Signs and Symptoms of Needing a Root Canal

When can a tooth not be filled?

If the decay reaches your tooth's main structure, called dentin, then a filling can replace the lost tooth structure after your dentist has cleaned the cavity of bacteria and infection. However, if it reaches the tooth's center chamber, called the pulp, a filling may no longer suffice to address it.

What is alternative to root canal?

An alternative to a root canal is a tooth extraction, in which your dentist can replace a damaged tooth with a bridge, partial denture, or implant. This can be an expensive treatment and usually requires several visits to your doctor. If you're a candidate for a root canal, you'll likely experience less pain over time.

Can an xray show if you need a root canal?

When you get an x-ray, this will give definitive proof that you need to get a root canal. The x-ray gives the dentist a clear view of any infection in the tooth especially one at the root of the tooth.

Do I need a root canal if there is no infection?

You might still need a root canal even if you do not feel any pain because not all infection results in pain. The purpose of a root canal is to handle any infection that has developed in your tooth pulp, not just stop you from feeling pain. A root canal can save your infected tooth from having to be extracted.

Should I get a filling or a crown?

Factors that determine the choice of fillings or crowns

When tooth decay goes untreated for long, it gets bigger and deeper. If the cavity is detected on time, a filling is good enough. However, if the decay has affected a significant portion of the tooth, the dentist will suggest a dental crown.

How do you know if the tooth is infected?

What does it mean when you tap your tooth and it hurts?

If tapping lightly on the tooth causes acute pain, this is usually a sign of local infection. Infections can often be treated with the simple use of antibiotics, but, in severe cases, an abscess may develop in the gums, teeth or bone of the jaw that may require surgical drainage.

Can I avoid a root canal?

Root canals are performed when bacteria, introduced through a cavity or crack, compromise the nerves located inside the tooth. The bacteria cause an infection, which eventually kills the nerves. But root canals can be avoided, Teitelbaum says, in cases where the nerves are not yet infected.

What tooth pain comes and goes?

Throbbing tooth pain that comes and goes can indicate tooth damage. A toothache can also be due to cavity or tooth decay. A person is also likely to experience throbbing tooth pain in the presence of tooth infection or inflammation, called pulpitis.

Does a big cavity mean root canal?

Root canals may be needed for more severe, untreated cavities—which is why we tell patients to come in for regular check-ups! With a root canal procedure, your dentist will remove the pulp of your tooth to rid you of the infection. Then, they'll follow up by placing a dental crown.

How do you get rid of root canal pain at home?

An old, but effective remedy for root canal pain and swelling is a cold compress. As soon as you return home, place a cold compress, a cold washcloth, or a bad of ice or veggies, on your cheek (on the treatment area side). The coolness will reduce the swelling, and ease your pain.

Can you naturally heal a tooth that needs a root canal?

The short answer is no. The long answer is fairly straightforward. The infected tissue inside a tooth cannot heal by itself and will only get worse over time if left untreated. Even if you experience no pain, you should still seek treatment.

How can I avoid root canal treatment naturally?

Can a root canal be painless?

Root canal treatment is virtually painless and often leaves you with less discomfort during recovery than if you have your natural tooth extracted.

Does tooth pain always mean a root canal?

Strong pain does not always mean that the patient needs a root canal treatment. In some cases, the tooth which requires the surgery, may not even hurt. When pain is present, however, this can indicate a necessity for a root canal.

Why do dentists drill before filling?

When dentists drill into teeth, they are shaping an opening. This is to ensure all of the rot in the dentin is removed entirely. Another reason for drilling is to create a shape for the filling to bond and fill the cavity completely. Fillings can be either a silver/mercury amalgam or they can be plastic.

How do you know if you have a cavity under a filling?

An instrument called an explorer will be used to detect worn spots around the edge of the fillings. If the seal between the filling and tooth enamel breaks down, decay-causing bacteria and food particles can get under the filling. These bacteria are hard to remove easily with a toothbrush.

Do I need a crown after a root canal?

After a root canal, they can simply be restored with dental filling and left without a crown. However, if the front tooth has been discolored by decay, then a crown should be fitted for cosmetic purposes.

Can antibiotics prevent a root canal?

Although antibiotics will not be effective in lieu of a root canal, your provider may prescribe a preventive course of these medications following your root canal treatment. This is to reduce your risk of developing infection in the bone surrounding the tooth, which prophylactic antibiotics are very effective at doing.

What to do if you need a root canal and can't afford it?

Contact a few dental offices first to find out the cost of root canal treatment without dental insurance. Another option is to find a new dental insurance plan. You might be able to find a plan that provides more coverage.