Before you come in for root canal therapy, it’s important to understand what a root canal treatment is, what you should expect during the procedure, and how to care for yourself post-treatment.
About Root Canal Therapy
What Is It?
Root canal therapy repairs and saves a tooth that has a damaged, infected, or decayed inner pulp. If you need root canal therapy, chances are you may be experiencing a lot of pain. Some of the common symptoms indicating the need for this treatment include: tooth sensitivity, swollen gums, persistent or throbbing toothache, fever, sensitivity to chewing pressure, tender lymph nodes, bad breath, and a bitter or salty taste in your mouth. Root canal therapy allows our dentists to remedy your pain, remove the infection, and save your natural tooth. Without treatment, the tissue that surrounds your tooth (including your jawbone) will become infected and abscesses could form. Biannual checkups at our office are vital because they allow us to detect tooth decay before it becomes worse!
How Much Does Root Canal Therapy Cost?
The cost of root canal therapy depends on the degree of damage or infection, the tooth being treated, and the number of roots the tooth has. At your consultation, we’ll give you a cost estimate based on your specific dental needs. We have flexible payment options and accept most insurance so you can get the best care in a way that’s affordable for you. Be sure to ask us about our Gold Dental Discount Plan for 20% off root canal therapy.
During the Procedure
What Happens During the Root Canal Therapy?
- To begin, we’ll numb the area around your tooth so that you won’t feel any pain throughout the treatment.
- Then, we remove the damaged inner pulp of your tooth. The pulp is a bundle of soft tissue, nerves, and blood vessels in your innermost tooth. A damaged pulp can be caused by a number of factors: bacteria that has infiltrated the sterile inner tooth via a crack in your tooth, decay that has penetrated through the enamel and dentin tooth layers, repeated dental treatment to the tooth, or physical trauma to the mouth.
- Next, the inside of the tooth is cleaned and disinfected before it’s sealed up with a filling and crown.
- After a relatively short procedure, your smile will look and feel as good as new!
Post-Treatment
What Is the Recovery for Root Canal Therapy?
After the procedure, your tooth may feel sensitive for the first few days due to inflammation, especially if you had an infection in your tooth. This pain can be managed with over-the-counter medications. Fortunately, many patients can return the next day to their normal activities. We will schedule follow-up appointments to make sure everything is healing well.
What Can I Do to Protect My Tooth?
To encourage healing, chew on the opposite side of your mouth and avoid incredibly hot foods and drinks (like hot soup, coffee, and tea), spicy foods, alcohol, crunchy foods (like apples and carrots), hard foods (like nuts and ice), and chewy foods (like bread, taffy, candy, and gum). Instead, eat soft foods that require minimal chewing, such as: eggs, tofu, mashed vegetables, pasta, oatmeal, cream of wheat, bananas, applesauce, mangos, yogurt, smoothies, and hummus.
Grafton Dental Care
Come See Us!
It’s vital to have an excellent preventive care routine, wear a mouthguard during sports and teeth grinding, and come visit us every six months to protect your teeth from damage and infection. If you think you have a damaged tooth, contact us as soon as possible to take care of the problem. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and ask us more about our financial options.
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