Do I still need a root canal?

Root canal treatment could eliminate infection and save your tooth.  

Dear Dentist,I had a toothache two months ago, which also caused a swelling on my gum. The dentist advised me not to remove the tooth but instead to swallow drugs and go back for root canal treatment. I swallowed all the drugs given to me and no longer feel any pain. Is it still possible to have the procedure performed to save the tooth?

Abu
Dear Abu, your explanation shows that you had a dental abscess. This condition occurs when there is a collection of pus that is caused by a bacterial infection in the inner part of your tooth. It usually occurs as a result of an untreated dental cavity, or a crack or chip in your tooth that allows bacteria into the inner tooth. The inner part of the tooth is called a pulp; it contains blood vessels, nerves and connective tissues.
The effective treatment for a tooth abscess involves draining the abscess or pus and ridding the area of the infection. This is followed by one taking antibiotics and analgesics of the dentist’s choice for not less than five days to fully get rid of the infection. This normally, depends on how severe the abscess is.

The tooth itself may be saved with that procedure (root canal treatment) but in some instances it may need to be extracted (removed).
This abscess usually causes;
Severe, persistent, throbbing toothache
Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures
Sensitivity to the pressure of chewing or biting
Fever
Swelling in your face or cheek
Tender, swollen lymph nodes under your jaw or in your neck
Sudden rush of foul smelling and foul tasting fluid in your mouth and cessation of pain if the abscess ruptures

Treatment
Depending on what the dentist found out, you need one of the following;
Root canal treatment. This procedure can help eliminate further infection and save your tooth. To do this, your dentist drills down into your tooth, removes the diseased inner tissue called the pulp and drains any remaining pus, thus killing or removing the nerve of that particular tooth. It is a good procedure, and it can be performed on your dentist’s recommendation.

Extract the affected tooth. If the affected tooth can’t be saved, your dentist will pull it out (extract it), then drain any remaining pus, thus quickening the healing process.
Note: It is not good for anyone not to honour appointments with your doctor, relief from pain is always temporary. If you take long without seeking further treatment, infection will re-occur, thus making the treatment more costly.

The writer is a dentist
krdent@yahoo.com