Root canal therapy has a little bit of a bad reputation, but any dentist will tell you it’s one of the fastest and easiest toothache treatments available to patients. If you’re dealing with a severely infected tooth, this procedure may very well be the best way to help you.
Dr. Teresa Knott is an expert in restorative care and she’s here to help make the process as stress-free for you as possible. So if you’re in pain, don’t hesitate—call our office today!
Root canal therapy is often done to address severe infections that have crept deep into the tooth. It’s particularly useful in situations where bacteria have begun to attack the root pulp. This kind of illness can lead to a throbbing toothache, swelling along the gum line, and even discoloration of the tooth itself.
You may also experience other symptoms of infection that may not seem related directly to the mouth. Along with the above symptoms, fever, chills, and fatigue are all indicators that your body is working hard to fight an infection. If you’re dealing with all of these problems, root canal therapy may be able to help you.
The point of a root canal is to deal with infected root pulp, and it’s done by removing this pulp from inside the tooth. The first step is to numb the patient’s mouth completely—this is done to ensure that they won’t experience any discomfort at any point during the treatment. We will not begin the therapy until we’re sure that you won’t feel anything at all.
We’ll then use specialized instruments to open a hole in the affected tooth and remove the infected root pulp. Once the affected tissue is removed, a plastic substance called gutta percha is placed in the root canal, giving the tooth structure.
Finally, we’ll use our CEREC machine to mill you a dental crown that can be placed that very day. You’ll leave our office feeling good as new!
As you may have gathered from that description, any rumors about root canal therapy being painful are completely untrue. You’re unlikely to feel much of anything at all during the procedure, making root canal therapy a painless way to deal with an uncomfortable toothache.
Root canal therapy also has many benefits when you consider the alternatives. Typically, the only other thing that can be done for a tooth that has become infected to this extent is an extraction. Root canal therapy has the advantage of preserving the integrity of the natural tooth, meaning that you don’t have to go through the trouble of finding a method of tooth replacement that works for you.
When you’re in urgent need of a root canal, the last thing you want is to have to think about the cost. That’s why we aim to be as transparent as possible about the cost of services and supply you with the information you need to make an informed decision.
We’ll obviously give you a complete estimate of the price of care once we meet you in person, but until then, here’s what you should know about the typical cost of root canals
The reason why it’s hard to give you an accurate assessment of the cost without meeting you in person is that the price of a root canal depends on a few factors.
For one, the type of tooth that is being treated can make a massive difference in the amount of work that needs to be done and therefore what the treatment will cost. This is because molars, for example, have three roots while the front teeth only have one or two.
In the case of more complex procedures, it may be necessary to direct you to a specialist to handle your root canal, which will also change the cost of the treatment. Finally, you may have to consider what the material of the dental crown used for your tooth will be made out of if you’re budgeting for the treatment.
It’s normal for root canals to have a higher up-front cost than a tooth extraction, but that shouldn’t necessarily lead you to believe that removing a tooth is the less expensive option in the long run.
Missing even one tooth can have a massive negative impact on your ability to eat, chew, talk, and smile. For that reason, we would always recommend replacing the tooth that you’ve lost with a dental implant or bridge.
While this can restore a bit of the bite force you’ve lost, after the tooth replacement you’re likely to have spent more than you would have in the case of a root canal. In the long run, this makes the latter the more cost-effective treatment in most cases.
Typically, root canals aren’t even considered unless they’re a medical necessity to save an infected tooth. In these cases, it’s common for a dental plan to cover anywhere from 50-80% of the treatment after the plan’s deductible has been met. However, every plan is different, and we’ll work to make sure that your benefits are maximized.
If you don’t have insurance or if you’ve already met your yearly maximum, we have other options that can help make care a little bit more affordable for you. For one, we have an in-house dental savings plan that can be useful for uninsured patients, especially if you need multiple treatments. For a flat annual fee, you can get a serious discount on the care you get from us, including 25% of root canal therapy.
We also partner with CareCredit to offer financing options to our patients. If you qualify based on a credit check, you can split the cost of our services into monthly payments that may be much more manageable for your budget.
