Are you one of the many people suffering from Root Canal symptoms?

Going to the dentist can be a little scary, especially if you are a patient suffering from root canal symptoms.  At Dr. Thomas L. Anderson and Associates we spend a lot of time with our patients before a root canal procedure reassuring them that the procedure is much easier than in the past with our current dental anesthetics.  In the end they never believe us until it’s over. Then we get responses like, “You’re done?! I didn’t feel a thing!”  And “You were right, that was much easier than I thought!”  We get these responses because root canal treatment does not cause pain, it relieves it! 

When a patient makes a choice to save their tooth with a root canal rather than removing it, they have added years of healthy chewing and a higher functioning mouth!  A root canal is needed when either tooth decay or severe trauma causes irreversible damage to the nerve of the tooth.  The root canal symptoms can vary, but the severe tooth pain that comes with them will leave you desperate for relief.  You may experience throbbing pain that radiates to your ears and jaws that can wake you up right out of your sleep!  It is normal for a tooth to be sensitive to cold, but that sensation should go away very quickly.  If the tooth is showing root canal symptoms, the pain will linger after being activated with cold for a long, uncomfortable time.  Other symptoms include, sensitivity to hot, pain when biting down or touching the tooth, discoloration, swelling, or an abscess forming on your gum tissue.  These terrible symptoms are the real villains, root canal treatment is the cure, and the gentle dentists at our office are the heroes! 

Once the tooth has been diagnosed needing a root canal our most frequently asked question is, “Why can’t we just pull the tooth?”  While having the tooth removed will help clear up infection and pain, it will start to cause a lot more problems down the road.  When a tooth is removed we lose bone that supports the adjacent teeth, the teeth start drifting in to fill spaces leading to malocclusion problems, and super eruption of opposing teeth.  If a tooth must be removed it is always advised to replace the missing tooth with either a dental implant or a fixed bridge. However, patients suffering from root canal symptoms should know that there is no adequate replacement for a natural tooth.  Saving the tooth with a root canal and crown is the best treatment whenever possible! 

We all know how bad a reputation root canal treatment has.  You may have heard people say, “I’d rather have a root canal” in response to a terrible task they do not want to be doing. However, we have learned today that having the procedure done is quite painless, and you often leave your dentist’s office feeling much better than when you arrived with a toothache! 

When you are having tooth pain you need relief quickly!  That is why our dentists take same day emergency appointments, lunch hour appointments, and even Saturday appointments! If you feel you may be suffering with root canal symptoms call one of our three locations today.  Dr. Thomas L. Anderson and Assocites has three convenient locations. Please visit us at our office on the Country Club Plaza, Downtown Kansas City, or in Independence, Mo.  We have four friendly dentists that make it a priority to be there anytime our patients need us! If you are experiencing root canal symptoms get relief with us today!