Sign #1: Your Toothache Won’t Go Away
Brief sensitivity when you bite down on something hard is fairly common and not always cause for alarm. But when the ache is deep, constant, and doesn’t respond to over-the-counter pain relievers the way it normally would, that’s the nerve or surrounding tissue telling you there’s an active problem.
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Pain from an infected pulp often radiates. A patient might feel it in the jaw, behind the ear, on the side of the head or neck, or even in an adjacent tooth, even though only one tooth is actually involved.
Sign #2: Lingering Temperature Sensitivity
Sensitivity to hot and cold is common in general, and plenty of people experience a brief sharp sensation with temperature extremes. What separates normal sensitivity from a potential root canal situation is how long that sensation sticks around. Brief cold or temperature sensitivity that resolves quickly can be an earlier sign, but lingering sensitivity to either hot or cold indicates the inflammation may have already progressed to irreversible pulpitis.
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Sign #3: Swollen, Tender Gums Near One Tooth
Healthy gums don’t swell without a reason. When you notice puffiness, redness, or tenderness localized around a single tooth, it’s a warning sign of possible infection.
Sign #4: A Tooth That Has Visibly Darkened
When one tooth looks noticeably darker than its neighbours, or is greyer or more brownish in tone, that discoloration is coming from the inside out. It’s typically not a staining issue that whitening treatments can address; it can be a sign that the pulp inside the tooth has been damaged, is dying, or has already died.
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Sign #5: Pain or Pressure When Biting or Chewing
Discomfort specifically when biting down on one tooth, rather than general jaw soreness, points to something happening at or near the root. The ligament that surrounds the tooth’s root and holds it in the socket can become inflamed when the pulp inside the tooth is infected, making even light pressure uncomfortable.
Sign #6: A Crack, Chip, or Visible Damage to the Tooth
A cracked tooth isn’t just a cosmetic concern. Cracks, even hairline fractures that are difficult to see, create a pathway for bacteria to travel toward the pulp.
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This is particularly common after biting something hard like ice or a popcorn kernel, after a sports injury, or in teeth that have been weakened by large old fillings.
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Sign #7: A Pimple-Like Bump or Recurring Sore on the Gum
One of the more telling root canal symptoms is a small raised bump on the gumline near the affected tooth. This is called a dental fistula or gum boil, and it develops when the body tries to create a drainage pathway for the infection building up inside or around the tooth’s root.
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