Root Canal Therapy

What is a root canal? 

A root canal is one of the most common dental procedures performed, well over 14 million every year. This simple treatment can save your natural teeth and prevent the need of dental implants or bridges.

At the center of your tooth is pulp. Pulp is a collection of blood vessels and nerves that helps to build the surrounding tooth. Infection of the pulp can be caused by trauma to the tooth, deep decay, cracks and chips, or repeated dental procedures. Symptoms of the infection can be identified as visible injury or swelling of the tooth, sensitivity to temperature or pain in the tooth and gums.

A root canal treatment is a dental procedure to remove inflamed or infected pulp on the inside of the tooth which is then carefully cleaned and disinfected, then filled and sealed. Root canal treatment is designed to eliminate bacteria from the infected root canal, prevent reinfection of the tooth and save the natural tooth.

A local anesthetic (dental freezing) will be given to numb the area being treated. A sheet of latex called the “rubber dam” (non-latex is used if there is an allergy) will be placed around the tooth to isolate it, hence keeping it clean and dry during treatment. Some treatments take 2 visits but many are just a single visit. Occasionally 3 appointments are needed. In any case, it depends on the degree of infection/inflammation and degree of treatment difficulty.

There are, of course, no guarantees. Root canal therapy has a very high degree of success, and may be an option to retain your natural tooth.

What happens after root canal treatment?

When your root canal therapy has been completed, a record of your treatment will be sent to your restorative dentist. You should contact their office for a follow-up restoration within a few weeks of completion at our office. Your restorative dentist will decide on what type of restoration is necessary to protect your tooth. It is rare for endodontic patients to experience complications after routine endodontic treatment. If a problem does occur, however, we are available to respond to your concerns. To prevent further decay, continue to practice good dental hygiene.

How much will root canal therapy cost?

The cost associated with this procedure can vary depending on factors such as the severity of damage to the affected tooth and which tooth is affected. In general, endodontic treatment is much less expensive than tooth removal and replacement with an artificial tooth.