What Are The Symptoms...?

What are the symptoms of a cavity?





What are the symptoms of a root canal?





Does a lingering slight aching-throbbing pain always indicate root canal is needed?





If xrays were taken in October that show no decay near the pulp,... could it have progressed to the pulp by now?





Does tapping always indicate root canal is needed?





Are there any tests I can do that will determine that root canal is likely needed... i.e.: Ice test, tap test, heat test?





My symptoms are: As of yesterday an old filled tooth started hurting after eating cold cereal. A alight aching-throb is best to describe it. It still hurts a little. It is not sensitive to heat. Tap is a little sensitive. Any advice is very appreciated. Going to DDS next week. Thanks.

What Are The Symptoms...?
More than likely your filling is eroding, my dentist said that they do that. If it is a big filling you sill probably need to have it removed and the tooth crowned. You normally only need a root canal in the case of an infection which usually is noticeable because you would be in a lot of pain with facial swelling.
Reply:cavity- i think there will be a dark colored spot in the middle and i think it will hurt very bad
Reply:omg! for an exmaple sad and other word for it is heart broken! it has the same meaning but a different word
Reply:I'm not a dentist, this is from my personal experience.





Fillings need to be replaced periodically because they wear out and begin to leak. When the dentist cleans out the old filling, the hole will get larger. When the hole gets large enough that the filling puts pressure on the nerve, it's time for a root canal. I'm sure there are other reasons, too. But this is what happened to me.
Reply:decay does not always come with symptoms. it will only become relevant to the patient, usually by the time it reaches the pulp and it would mean sensitivity, general aching of the tooth perhaps with normal masticitory pressure. the symptoms of a root canal would usually be an abscessed tooth. you will see a small fistula at the apex (root) of the tooth, patients usually don't notice for a while, but what is happening is the tooth is infected and the pus needed to drain somewhere because it can't go through tooth structure, only soft tissues or bone. depending on the severity there may be pain, but again usually the patient will have had it for some time and not known. it could have progressed to the pulp by now for sure, to detect decay a periapical x-ray of the tooth should be taken. your dds will help from there.
Reply:Even though you alraedy have a filling in that tooth , it probably needs to be resealed. Depending on how long ago it was they most likely have better products to do this. Also, you might want to try using a toothpaste for sensitive teeth. This really helped me. If your using whitening toothpaste regularly or have done some whitening , than this could be the cause of your pain. For more info check out this site:


http://www.symptoms-treatments.com
Reply:Dental caries or cavities can lead to a dental infection that may require root canal to rectify. Continued dental pain could indicate a dental abscess (infection around the root of the tooth). You want to treat these early with antibiotics so surgery is not needed later. Pain on tapping simply means there is inflammation going on around the tooth and infection is the leading cause. Hot and cold sensitivity are also clues to infection. If you are not allergic to penicillin it is the drug of choice for you my friend.





More to read:


http://www.freemd.com/Dental-Caries/symp...





And about dental abscess (note images of dental infections):


http://www.freemd.com/Dental-Abscess/sym...

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