Do I need a root canal?

Dr. Hall,
okay i dont know if i have root canal yet or having it soon. i had a filling when i was in high school i can see the fillings in my teeth but can not see them very well. my top right and bottom right teethes hurt when i eat or drink something cold. i would sometimes put my head into the sink to put some Heat on it. it works for 5=10 seconds then pain again. i would brush my teeth trying to get the friction from my tooth brush to give it heat. and it does work. but how long is that going to last. first i thought it was cause i was chewing gum while i was smoking if thats the problem ill have to go to the dentists. if you can get back to be asap that would be great.
– Andrew from California

Andrew,
I’m not following all that you’re saying. But persistent pain in a tooth from cold is an indication that the tooth needs a root canal treatment.

If something cold touches the tooth and it hurts only while the cold is on the tooth, that indicates an irritated tooth that may or may not need treatment. If the pain lingers for more than a few seconds after the cold has been removed, that tooth won’t get better on its own, and it needs a root canal treatment.
Sometimes people are fooled because after a week or several weeks the pain goes away, so they think the tooth is better now. But what happens is that the living tissue inside the tooth dies, and that is usually the reason that the pain goes away.
– Dr. Hall