An abscessed tooth can lead to all sorts of oral and general health problems. Luckily, your Marion, AR, dentist, Dr. Wayne Cook, can help you avoid these issues with root canal therapy.

What happens when you have a dental abscess?

Abscesses are bacterial infections that affect the pulp of your tooth, a soft mass of nerves, tissues, and blood vessels. Although the pulp is protected by the harder dentin and enamel layers of the tooth, it can become infected due to extensive tooth decay or damage to your tooth.

If you have an abscess, you may experience one or more of these signs and symptoms:

• Pain ranging from mild, intermittent pain to a severe, throbbing ache in your tooth
• Swelling in the lower part of your face
• Sensitivity caused by consuming hot, cold, or sweet foods and beverages
• Fever
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Tender, swollen gum around the tooth
• Pus on the gum
• A pimple-like bump on your gum

Unfortunately, abscesses never go away on their own. In fact, if you don't visit the Marion, AR, dental office for root canal therapy and antibiotics, the infection may enter your bloodstream. Once the bacteria is in your blood, it can spread to any part of your body. The infection could travel to your sinuses, triggering a sinus infection, or cause ocular cellulitis, a painful infection that occurs between the eyelids and eye socket. If your jawbone becomes infected, you could lose teeth as a result of the abscess.

An abscess could even cause serious health issues or death. Heart disease, pneumonia, or stroke can occur if the infection reaches the brain, lungs, or heart. In some cases, an abscess could even affect your ability to breathe. Swollen tissues in the bottom of the mouth could block your airway, preventing oxygen from reaching your lungs.

How can root canal therapy help?

During root canal therapy, your dentist opens your tooth and removes the infected pulp. Before treatment begins, you'll receive a local anesthetic to ensure that you don't feel any pain during the procedure. After removing the pulp, he'll clean the inside of the tooth and clean and shape the root canals that extend from the top to the bottom of the tooth. Adding a rubber-based filling will restore the tooth, although you may need a dental crown to strengthen it. Root canals not only save your tooth but help you avoid the potentially devastating health problems abscesses can cause.

Protect your health with root canal therapy! Call (870) 739-8799 to schedule an appointment with your dentist in Marion, AR, Dr. Cook if you're concerned about a tooth.