Does drinking iced tea or hot coffee have you agonizing in pain? Maybe one of your teeth has simply been hurting
constantly for a while now. In either case, it would seem you are dealing with an infection inside the dental pulp
– the bundle of nerve endings located at the center of your tooth. Since this area is so sensitive, it can
cause discomfort to the degree that it interferes with your daily life. Hope is not lost, however, because here at
Newton Corner Dental Care we want you to choose saving your tooth over extraction to give you a reason to smile once
again. Contact us so our dentists can get you back on
track with root canal therapy in Newton!
Do I Need Root Canal Therapy?
The most common indication of the need for a root canal is a severe, persistent toothache. However, that is certainly
not the only symptom to look for. Other signs you might need a root canal include:
- Extreme, prolonged sensitivity to hot or cold foods or beverages
- Sharp pain when biting down
- Dark discoloration of a tooth
- Swelling or redness of the gums surrounding a tooth
- A pimple-like bump on the gums near a tooth
As soon as you notice any of these symptoms, contact our team.
We’ll get you in for an appointment ASAP.
The Root Canal Process
The term “root canal” gets a bad rap, but this procedure is actually painless. In fact, by removing the
infected nerve of the tooth, a root canal is designed to relieve pain. Plus, your emergency dentist in Newton will numb your
mouth with a local anesthetic beforehand so you will remain comfortable throughout the process.
We will begin by using special instruments to access the inner chambers of the tooth and remove the pulp that’s
triggering your pain. After sanitizing the area, we’ll refill it with a synthetic gutta-percha material to
retain the tooth’s shape. The next step is to seal and protect the tooth by placing a temporary dental crown.
As your mouth heals, the area around the tooth might feel a bit sore and tender.
A few weeks later, we will see you at our dental office. Then, we’ll switch out your temporary crown for a
permanent one. At that point, the underlying tooth should be fully protected. You’ll be able to use it as you
normally would – bring on that cup of coffee!
The Benefits of Getting a Root Canal
While replacement options like dental implants definitely have their benefits for your smile, preserving your natural
tooth should always be the primary goal. If you hesitate to get a root canal when you need one, the infection might
progress to the point of no return and your tooth will have to be extracted entirely. Removing and replacing a tooth
is a much more complex, time-consuming, and wallet-draining venture than root canal therapy.
In addition to saving your natural tooth, root canal therapy has other benefits:
- Virtually pain-free procedure – Thanks to the advanced dental technology we use, getting
a root canal is about as comfortable as the process for an ordinary filling.
- High success rate – The vast majority of root canal patients retain their treated tooth
for decades, if not the rest of their lives.
- Aesthetically pleasing results – After your root canal, your tooth will be restored with
a custom-made dental crown that seamlessly blends in with the rest of your smile.
Understanding the Cost of Root Canals
Root canal treatment can save your tooth from being extracted. However, you may have concerns regarding the cost of your treatment, so we’re here to help. During your visit with us, we are more than happy to discuss the details and exact cost of your treatment. Until then, here are some things for you to keep in mind.
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Factors That Can Affect Root Canal Cost
It is very difficult to determine the exact cost of your treatment until we can examine the area. Here are some of the factors that will contribute to the cost:
- Location: Depending on where the tooth is located in your mouth, the cost will vary. This is because molars have more roots than front teeth, so they tend to cost more.
- Difficulty: The more complex a procedure is, the higher the cost will be.
- Additional Treatments: If you need another service with your root canal, like a dental crown, this will incur its own cost.
Is it Cheaper to Pull My Tooth?
It may be tempting to skip the root canal altogether and just have your tooth pulled. While extractions are typically less expensive upfront, you should think through the long-term consequences of losing one of your natural teeth. Your bite can be negatively impacted as the remaining teeth begin to shift out of place, resulting in difficulty eating and general discomfort. To prevent this, you would need to replace the missing tooth with a dental bridge or implant. These restorations can add up quickly. Ultimately, a root canal is likely the most cost-effective way to address an infected tooth – but don’t wait! The longer you put off your root canal, the more likely it will need to be extracted.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Root Canals?
Root canal treatment is considered to be a “major procedure,” so dental insurance often covers about half of the cost of the treatment after your deductible has been met. However, every plan is different, so it is always best to confirm this with your provider ahead of time. You won’t want any unnecessary surprises. Our team is more than happy to help if you need assistance understanding how your plan works.
Other Options for Making Root Canal Treatment Affordable
If you don’t have dental insurance, this doesn’t mean that you are completely out of luck. We are partnered with Wisetack to offer our patients flexible financing options, so you can pay over time rather than all at once for treatment. We also accept payments through CareCredit – a third-party financing company that can split the cost of your treatment into manageable monthly installments with little-to-no interest. For more information on your financial options, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our friendly team members.
Root Canal FAQs
Given what you’ve read, perhaps you want a root canal in Newton. It’d be great if so – the treatment could well save your tooth! Still, you should probably learn more about the therapy first. Knowing the basics will help you go into care confidently. Fortunately, Newton Corner Dental Care can get you started: here are some answers to oft-asked root canal questions. You can understand the procedure’s ins and outs by reading them over. If you need additional details, please call our office for help.
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Can I Take Antibiotics Instead of Getting a Root Canal?
Unfortunately, the answer to this question is “no.” While they can treat infections in other body parts, antibiotics don’t work on infected teeth.
You see, antibiotics travel through the bloodstream to target infected tissue. However, that stream doesn’t reach a tooth’s inner area – its pulp. As such, an antibiotic couldn’t eliminate the infection in that area.
Ultimately, root canal therapy is the only way to treat infected tooth pulp. Your infection could spread otherwise, even leading to your tooth needing an extraction.
What Happens If You Wait Too Long for a Root Canal?
Left alone, an untreated tooth infection will steadily get worse. That’s only natural – teeth don’t have the power to heal themselves.
At first, this decline may lead to the end of your toothache. You might think, then, that you no longer need a root canal. However, your infection has likely destroyed the tooth’s nerves at that point. Its pain is gone, in other words, because it’s basically dead.
Worse yet, delaying a root canal gives an infection time to spread. If it reaches other body parts, it could then cause systemic illnesses. The tooth may even need extraction in that case.
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Do Root Canals Ever Have to Be Redone?
True, root canal therapy does have a high success rate. That said, it does need to be redone in some rare cases.
Also known as endodontic retreatment, redoing a root canal can be necessary for various reasons. One is that saliva contaminated the treated tooth during the initial procedure. Another, meanwhile, is a delay between the original root canal and crown placement. It’s even possible the tooth had more root canals than expected, meaning the dentist didn’t disinfect them all.
At the same time, even successful root canals need an occasional redo. New decay or crown damage may have occurred, allowing bacteria to reinfect the tooth’s inner layers.
How Much Pain Is Normal After a Root Canal?
A root canal itself shouldn’t hurt, but you’ll likely face discomfort and soreness afterward. Thankfully, though, these symptoms are normal.
Often enough, patients feel mild pain and sensitivity when the treatment’s anesthetic wears off. These aches are easy to handle, however, with over-the-counter pain relievers. Plus, you can keep from aggravating them by not chewing hard foods. The pain will then start to subside after three days or so.
Call your dentist immediately if your post-therapy pain persists for a week or more. You may be facing a treatment complication.
