You may need a root canal if you experience an infection that spreads to the pulp of the tooth. Although some people may not realize they have this type of infection, the vast majority of the time the patient will experience one or more of these symptoms:
- A severe toothache that gets worse with pressure
- Sensitivity to hot and cold
- Swollen and/or tender gum tissue around the affected tooth
- Darkening of the affected tooth
- A sore on the gum tissue near the tooth
Fortunately, a tooth doesn’t need either pulp or nerves in order to function normally, so most patients can use the tooth as they normally would after healing from root canal therapy.