Most patients who need a root canal come to our dentist office complaining of pain, which originates in the infection in the tooth root.

Your tooth root contains nerves, and this is why it can be painful.

Infection can invade a tooth root in a couple of different ways. If your tooth is cracked, bacteria may get inside and make its way down to the tooth root. Sometimes a cracked tooth is painful, but at other times it isn’t, and you may not even know your tooth is cracked. You can crack a tooth without knowing it by eating hard foods, grinding your teeth or suffering a blow to the jaw.

Bacteria can also make their way down to the tooth roots through a cavity. The infection usually shows up as a dark spot on an X-ray.

Without the dental care you need, your tooth and your health could be at risk. If allowed to progress, the infection may destroy your tooth, requiring extraction. You will then have to decide whether to get a dental implant to replace the tooth — a much longer process than a root canal.

Additionally, allowing an infection to remain untreated can damage organs in your body such as the heart, liver and kidneys.