Root Canal Procedure for Infected Tooth Nerve

What’s the Best Endodontic Procedure for My Infected Tooth Nerve?

An infected tooth nerve, and more specifically, the infected pulp, can cause intense pain. It can also damage the tooth, surrounding bone, and soft tissue, making it a serious and urgent concern for patients.

When this happens, our Renovo endo team wants to help prevent as much damage as possible. To do that, we offer several endodontic procedures to fit each patient’s oral and physical health needs.

The faster we can treat an infected tooth nerve, the healthier and more comfortable you’ll be.

Dental Anatomy: What Is a Tooth Nerve?

To understand the treatments we offer at Renovo Endodontic Studio for infected tooth nerves and why we might recommend them, we first need to look at the anatomy of our teeth.

Each tooth consists of a crown and a root. The crown is the portion you can see when you open your mouth and smile. The roots are housed in the jawbone.

Teeth roots have canals containing pulp tissue, composed of connective tissues, blood vessels, and nerve tissue. Anterior (front teeth) have one canal, while posterior (back teeth) can have two to four canals.

The crown portion of the tooth is made of three components:

• Enamel: The outer layer of the tooth. Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body.
• Dentin: The second layer of the tooth. The dentin supports the enamel. It is very porous and acts as a shock absorber, absorbing the pressure from chewing, clenching, and grinding. The dentin also transfers impulses from the enamel to the pulp tissue.
• Pulp: Also known as the nerve, the pulp is the soft center of the tooth that feeds the tooth and keeps it alive.

How Do Tooth Nerves Get Infected or Irritated?

The following issues can cause infected nerves:

• Severe dental decay: Decay gets inside the tooth via a cavity and travels to the pulp chamber, causing nerve irritation and infection.
• Broken or cracked teeth: Cracks are a highway for bacteria straight into the pulp chamber. Fractures expose the dentin and pulp to the outside world, contributing to bacterial infection and irritation.
• Trauma: Trauma to the face and/or tooth can damage the pulp—even if the tooth remains intact. The injury can result in an abscess or make the tooth more susceptible to infection, resulting in an abscess.

Is a Dental Infection Always a Nerve Infection?

No, sometimes a dental infection is a gum or bone infection instead of a tooth infection. There are three types of infections that can cause a tooth to abscess:

• Periapical: A tooth nerve infection occurs when bacteria spread into the tooth and cause an abscess at the tip (apex) of the root.
• Gingival: An infection of the gum tissue that doesn’t impact the tooth or surrounding hard and soft tissues.
• Periodontal: An infection of the bone and tissues that surround the root of the teeth.

Signs You Might Have an Infected Tooth Nerve

Contact our Renovo endodontic team immediately if you notice any of these signs. We’ll help you get relief fast!

• Sensitivity to heat and cold
• Prolonged sensitivity
• Bite pressure pain
• Throbbing, chronic pain
• Sharp tooth pain
• Cracked tooth
• Fractured tooth
• Dental decay
• A red or white bump on your gums (abscess)
• Pus
• A foul taste or odor in your mouth
• Swollen gums around a single tooth
• Discoloration of the tooth (the whole tooth turns brown, gray, or black)

Renovo Endodontic Treatment Options for Infected Nerves

Some patients believe that, if they have a nerve infection, they automatically need a tooth extraction.

Thankfully, this isn’t the case. Our Renovo dental specialists can perform several treatments to clear the infection and save your natural tooth. Here are some of them.

Root Canal Therapy

Standard root canal therapy consists of opening the tooth and accessing the pulp chamber and canals of the tooth’s roots. Once we’ve done this, we will clean out the damaged and infected tissues before disinfecting the tooth and sealing it to prevent another infection.

Surgical Root Canal Therapy

Surgical root canal therapy is utilized in cases of root canal failure, calcified root canals, or root apex damage. To complete this procedure, our endodontic specialist will make an incision in the gum tissue to access the root and treat the infection.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are used in conjunction with the above therapies. They help kill the bacteria so your tooth and surrounding tissues can heal and prevent further damage.

Regenerative Therapy

The dental pulp helps the roots of the teeth grow while our teeth are still developing. Young patients with teeth still in development who have a tooth nerve infection can benefit from regenerative therapy. Using stem cells from around the immature tooth, our team can help regenerate damaged pulp tissue to encourage further root development.

Is It Possible to 100% Prevent the Need for Extractions?

We would love to help every patient keep every tooth. Unfortunately, that’s not always possible. Sometimes, the best treatment for tooth nerve infection is an extraction, particularly in these circumstances:

• Decay has damaged too much of the tooth.
• Gum disease has damaged the tooth and surrounding tissues, which can no longer support the tooth.
• Trauma causes the tooth to pop out or fractures the root.
• Root canal treatment was completed but hasn’t eliminated the pain.
• The teeth are crowded and can’t be corrected with orthodontic treatment.

Removing a damaged tooth may provide welcome relief to patients suffering from a toothache. It can also prevent further infection and damage to adjacent teeth or tissues. In addition, with advancements in implant, restorative, and prosthetic dental procedures, a missing tooth doesn’t have to damage your smile.

You Can Prevent Tooth Loss with Root Canal Therapy from Renovo

Our team of endodontic experts at Renovo Endodontic Studio has a simple goal: we want to help you regain and maintain good oral health and keep your natural teeth for a lifetime.

We’ll carefully evaluate your dental needs and health records when you visit our office to find the best treatment to help save your tooth, keep you comfortable, and improve your health.

If you have any questions about receiving treatment from a Renovo Endo specialist or your custom treatment plan, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Do you have signs of a dental infection? Contact Renovo Endodontic Studio to schedule an evaluation with one of our diverse, dedicated, experienced endodontic professionals.