Root canal therapy is effective if you have an infected tooth that needs extra care. A tooth can become infected if it is cracked, chipped, if there’s deep tooth decay or if multiple dental procedures are done. A few warning signs of an infection are if you’re experiencing tooth discomfort, tooth discoloration, gum swelling or sensitivity to hot or cold. Your Austin Emergency Dental dentist will perform a full exam on the tooth to determine the cause of your symptoms. If there’s infected or inflamed dental pulp, they will likely talk to you about prompt root canal treatment to save the tooth from extraction.