Signs You Need Emergency Dental Care After a Root Canal or Filling

Fillings and root canals are two of the most common general dental procedures. 95% of the time, things go perfectly well. However, there is always a small risk of infections and other complications following these procedures. If this happens, visiting your emergency dentist quickly is essential to correct the issue, avoid further damage and create the best chance of saving the tooth.

What Causes a Root Canal to Fail?

Common reasons for complications that cause root canal treatment to fail include:

• An undetected fracture or crack in the affected tooth
• An insufficient dental restoration that allows bacteria to penetrate the tooth
• Breakdown of the inner root canal filling material over time
• New cavities that develop around the affected tooth
• An excessive number of root canals in the tooth (if one is not cleaned the infection can spread again)

Sometimes the filling inside of an older root canal tooth decomposes over time, leading to infection. Depending on the situation and exact cause of the problem, another root canal treatment may be necessary as well as additional treatments such as getting a crown.

What Causes a Filling to Fail?

When getting a filling, the goal is to remove decay and repair the tooth for several years. While technology is improving, most fillings still won’t last forever. Depending on what it’s made from along with several other factors, fillings can last from 5 to 15 years. Common causes of a failing filling include:

• Poor bonding during the procedure
• Not enough tooth to support the filling
• Recurrent decay
• Teeth grinding
• Cracks in the filling due to pressure, temperature fluctuations and age.

Depending on the cause and severity of the failure, the filling may be easy to fix. For example, it can be as simple as bonding more composite or sticky glass ionomer cement (GIC) to the filling. Other cases may require more extensive work.

Symptoms of a Failed Root Canal or Filling

If you just had root canal treatment or a new filling and experience any of the following symptoms shortly afterwards, it’s a sign that something has gone wrong:

• Severe tooth pain
• Gum sensitivity and swelling
• Tooth abscess (a pus filled pimple on your gums)
• Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures
• Pain when chewing or biting down
• Tooth or gum discolouration
• Fever
• Bad breath
• Swelling in your face or cheek
• Tender, swollen lymph nodes under your jaw or in your neck
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing

If you experience any of these symptoms, visit your emergency dentist as soon as possible to get the problem fixed.

Schedule an Appointment With Our Emergency Dentist

If you experience any of these issues, schedule an emergency appointment by calling Dentists on the Gold Coast today on 07 5531 2053 or make a booking online. Our dedicated team provides a range of general, cosmetic, emergency and preventive dental care.