Root canal & endodontics in Clearwater

What Is the Definition of Root Canal Treatment?

Inside of your hard tooth enamel, there is a soft pulp that serves the purposes of helping to produce dentin during your dental development and sending pain signals when something is wrong. By the time that your dentist recommends this procedure, you might have already noticed that the pulp is a bit too good at stimulating the pain response in the nerves. If the root gets infected, injured, or exposed to severe tooth decay, then you might find yourself dealing with relentless pain that barely responds to home care. Root canals, or endodontic treatment, are a form of oral surgery that can put a stop to the pain by removing that troublesome tooth pulp.

When Do People Require Root Canals?

By the time that you notice symptoms, damaged tooth pulp has usually passed the point of no return. If you are asking, “do I need a root canal,” then you might have already noticed a few or all of the following symptoms:

• Persistent pain that ranges from moderate to severe
• Touch or temperature sensitivity
• Pain that keeps you up at night
• Increased pain while chewing or biting down
• Swelling in the gums that are near the tooth
• Discoloration of the tooth enamel or a severe cavity

What Types of Dentists Do Root Canals?

Finding a dentist for root canals may be as easy as visiting our clinic to visit with a general dental care provider. General dentists routinely perform root canals when the underlying cause is simple. On occasion, you might have a more complicated reason for seeking a root canal dentist. For instance, you might have already had the procedure done once on an infected tooth, and you’re now experiencing pain in the same one. In this case, you might be referred to an endodontist that is experienced with handling re-treatments and other complicated cases. If you’re not sure which type of dentist you need, then give our office a call to connect with a provider that is experienced with providing root canals.

What Happens During a Root Canal Procedure?

Procedures for root canals are fairly routine, and you’ll find that dentists tend to follow similar steps. In uncomplicated cases, you can usually expect for your procedure to be finished in one to two hours. Knowing these steps helps you identify how close you are to being done as your dentist works on your tooth.

• Numbing the tooth and gums for a pain-free procedure
• Isolating the tooth for cleanliness using a special shield
• Creating an opening in the dental crown
• Removing the pulp and using special tools to clean out each canal
• Placing fluid into the canal to disinfect the area and remove leftover debris
• Filling the canal with gutta-percha before sealing it
• Adding a crown to the top to prevent fracturing

What Is the Average Root Canal Cost?

The cost for root canals can vary depending upon which tooth you need treated along with the level of damage to your tooth and the type of root canal crown you wish to have put on at the end. Molar root canals usually involve four roots compared to a front tooth that only has one. Naturally, having this form of dental care performed on your molar will cost a little more than your front tooth due to the extra time and materials that are involved. Usually, dental insurance plans offer at least some degree of coverage for root canals, and you might find that this is all you need to help with the cost. If you’re curious about how much to include for root canals in your healthcare budget, then give our office a call to schedule an evaluation. With your treatment plan in hand, we’ll be able to provide you with a more accurate estimate of the cost for your care.

Do People Need Different Types of Root Canals?

The standard dental root canal involves removing the infected or injured pulp, which is what most people are talking about when they say they had the procedure. An apicoectomy is a slightly different type of procedure that dentists use to re-treat teeth that are having problems after the initial treatment. With this procedure, we simply remove the tip of the tooth root to halt the pain and inflammation. A pediatric pulpotomy is another type that involves removing the diseased pulp but leaving the nerve intact.

How Do You Plan for Dental Root Canal Treatment?

If you’ve been dreading the need to treat the root of a painful tooth, then you can enjoy knowing that prepping for root canals is as easy as visiting your dentist for an exam and showing up on the day of the procedure. You can get a root canal in Clearwater by calling us today. When we connect, we’ll walk you through what to expect on the day of your treatment and during your recovery to help you begin looking forward to ending your relentless tooth pain.