Root canal treatment is used when the soft tissue inside a tooth, called the pulp, is irreversibly inflamed or infected.
Symptoms can point in that direction, but they cannot confirm the diagnosis by themselves. Cracks, gum problems, sinus pain and other dental conditions can produce similar symptoms.
Pain that starts on its own
A tooth that begins aching without being triggered by food or temperature deserves assessment, particularly if the pain is strong enough to interrupt sleep or repeatedly returns.
Sensitivity that lingers
Brief sensitivity to cold can have several causes. Sensitivity that continues well after the hot or cold stimulus is removed can be more concerning for inflammation inside the tooth.
Pain when biting or chewing
Pain on biting can occur with pulp or root inflammation, but it can also come from a crack, a high filling or the tissues around the tooth. Examination is needed to separate these possibilities.
Swelling, a gum boil or bad taste
Swelling near a tooth, a pimple-like bump on the gum or drainage with an unpleasant taste can be signs of infection around the root.
Facial swelling that is rapidly increasing, or swelling associated with difficulty breathing or swallowing, needs urgent medical attention.
A darkened tooth after trauma
A tooth can lose vitality after a knock even if it did not break at the time. Colour change is one reason to have a previously injured tooth assessed.
Why an X-ray may be needed
The dentist combines symptoms with clinical tests and, when appropriate, an X-ray. The aim is to identify whether the pulp can recover, needs root canal treatment, or whether the pain is coming from something else.
Important
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. Dental symptoms can overlap, and treatment decisions depend on an examination and any investigations that are clinically useful.
