We lead busy lives, and oral health often goes unnoticed, unattended until there’s an issue causing discomfort. It might be tempting to ignore a persistent toothache in favour of other, more severe matters, thinking it will go away on its own. After all, dental appointments aren’t anyone’s favourite outing. But here’s the truth: when your dentist recommends a Root Canal Treatment, waiting it out doesn’t solve the problem. It often makes it exponentially worse.
We at the Dentist at Dickson, offer gentle, specialised Root Canal Treatment in Canberra designed to save your natural tooth and stop the infection before it becomes a serious dental emergency. In this blog, we’ll discuss the 7 critical risks of delaying this treatment and the long-term health complications it can cause.
1. Intensifying and Spreading Pain
Most patients visit the dentist because of the dull, nagging ache that causes some discomfort. However, when the tooth needs a root canal, and you don’t get the treatment done on time, that mild discomfort can quickly progress into a sharp, throbbing pain. It might even travel into your jaw, ear, or even the side of your face.
2. 'Silent' Nerve Death and Deepening Infection
The true danger is when the pain recedes temporarily, fooling you into thinking it’s healing on its own. But in reality, this reduced pain means the nerve inside the tooth is dying, so it simply stops transmitting pain. Meanwhile, the infection continues to spread deeper into the root and surrounding tissues. So, waiting for pain relief only worsens the situation and allows the infection to spread more.
3. When Delayed Treatment Leads to an Abscess
If you think severe toothache and infection are all that happen to the tooth, you’re quite wrong. Once the infection progresses, it leads to the abscess stage. The infection can form an abscess, a painful pocket of pus, at the root of the tooth. Such abscesses can lead to visible swelling in the gums, face, or jaw, a pimple-like bump on the gums, bad taste or bad breath, and fever or general discomfort. It can even reach a point where you may end up in urgent dental care, needing immediate treatment.
However, all this happens if you delay the treatment. With timely root canal treatment in Canberra, you can prevent abscesses and get relief from other dental complications.
4. Irreversible Bone Loss in the Jaw
When a tooth infection spreads, it doesn’t stay limited to the tooth. With time, the infection spreads deep into the tooth’s root nerves and can even cause bone damage. When the infection in the tooth spreads, bacteria from the pulp can travel deep into the jawbone surrounding the root. It can cause bone loss, ultimately weakening the tooth’s foundation.
5. Affects Future Dental Treatments
Such jawbone loss affects the mouth’s structure and can complicate future dental treatments. Even restorations like crowns or dental implants become more challenging when the bone has deteriorated.
6. Losing the Natural Tooth (Extraction)
If the infection destroys too much of the tooth or the surrounding bone, the tooth may become impossible to save. In such cases, tooth extraction is often the only viable option. However, early intervention and timely treatment can prevent these severe issues. A simple Root Canal Treatment can remove the infection, strengthen the tooth, and allow you to keep your natural smile.
7. Increased Systemic Health Complications
Many people forget that our mouth is not separate from the rest of the body. In fact, oral health and general health are deeply interconnected. So, if you’re suffering from a chronic dental infection, it will also affect your immune system. Instead of solving the problem early on, if you delay a root canal procedure, it can:
- Increase inflammation in the body.
- Weaken the immune system.
- Lead to Sinus infections, especially for upper back teeth.
- In some rare cases, infections can spread to the bloodstream, leading to dangerous complications.
Ignoring a problem doesn’t make it go away. It’s better to receive the treatment instead of delaying and endangering the tooth.
Don’t Wait for the Pain to Decide for You
So, if you’re experiencing a persistent toothache, swelling, or bad taste in the mouth, it is your body’s way of telling you something’s wrong. When you notice these symptoms, visiting the nearest family dental clinic and getting your Root Canal Treatment in Canberra sooner rather than later is the safest, healthiest choice.
At Dentist at Dickson, we offer gentle, modern, and effective Root Canal treatments delivered by highly trained practitioners. Our Root Canal Specialists are committed to saving your natural teeth with care and comfort.
Experiencing a toothache or any other symptoms of a root canal? Don’t wait till the pain becomes unbearable. Call us now or book your consultation online.