WHAT SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS MAY EXIST THAT SUGGEST A TOOTH MAY NEED A ROOT CANAL?
• During a restorative procedure, a tooth may be difficult to numb, or a small area of the prepared dentin hurts when touched, even though the rest of the tooth does not have any feeling to the drill. Such a condition may suggest localized inflammation in the dental pulp that is irreversible and that the tooth/pulp cannot heal from. • After restorative procedures are completed, teeth may demonstrate a variety of symptoms. Symptoms may include sensitivity to thermal changes (hots and/or colds) that do not improve or disappear within a couple weeks. Sensitivity symptoms may continue to worsen after having the filling or crown done. Generally, the more severe the sensitivity and the longer it continues to bother, the more likely a root canal is needed. Some teeth start to become and remain uncomfortable to chewing, but adjusting the bite does not seem to help. Some teeth experience a poorly localized diffuse chronic aching in the general area of the tooth (or side), frequently described a
