Root Canal Sugarland Tx

Root Canal Sugarland Your teeth are an essential part of your overall health and should be properly taken care of if you want to feel well and have a beautiful smile. One term you may be familiar with and have heard about is a root canal.

Before you proceed with this type of procedure, it’s important to know more details about the endodontist that performs the root canal and what a root canal is exactly. Continue reading to find answers to your questions and learn more about reasons you may need a root canal, what it entails, who does the procedure, and the recovery time. You’re sure to feel much more comfortable about moving forward with a root canal and will be glad that your pain will go away when the root canal therapy is complete.

Root Canal Cost

Anterior Root Canal $918.00

Bicuspid Root Canal $1033.00

Molar Root Canal $1249.00

If financial considerations prevent you from getting the dental care you need, ask us about our affordable dental financing plans! (Prices above reflect options for our Cash Patients)

What is an Endodontist?

An endodontist is a dentist who practices or specializes in endodontics. Endodontics is the dental specialty concerned with the study and treatment of the dental pulp. Endodontists mainly do root canal treatments, perform various endodontic surgeries, and address traumatic dental injuries when they arise. Some also place dental implants. “Endodontist” comes from the Greek words “endo” meaning inside and the word “odont” meaning tooth. Endodontists receive a “certificate in Endodontics” after an additional two to three years of training in an accredited dental program after dental school.

Endodontists:

Have advanced education
Have specialized expertise
Are experts in pain management
Use cutting-edge technologies

A root canal is the most common endodontic treatment performed. It’s a procedure in which the specialist will access the hollow portion of the tooth, known as the pulp, to eliminate infected or inflamed blood vessels and nerve tissue. For a root canal treatment, you would consult with this specialist. Compared to a dentist, endodontists don’t place fillings or clean teeth; instead, they dedicate their time to diagnosing and treating tooth pain. They are skilled specialists in finding the cause of oral and facial pain that has been difficult to diagnose. Some teeth are especially challenging to diagnose and treat so this is why you might want to see an endodontist versus a dentist.

What Is A Root Canal?

Now that you know what an endodontist does and their focus, it’s wise to educate yourself on the matter of a root canal and a root canal microsurgery apicoectomy. Root canal treatment works to eliminate bacteria from the infected root canal, prevent reinfection of the tooth, and save the natural tooth. If you were to undergo a root canal, the inflamed or infected pulp is removed and the inside of the tooth is carefully cleaned and disinfected, then filled and sealed. It’s a way to relieve the pain you feel and ensure your teeth are healthy again and stay that way. A root canal is a valuable and effective way to repair infected and decayed teeth so you can avoid extraction and keep your natural tooth, whenever possible. The procedure is very delicate, and only a professional can undertake it. Choosing not to get a root canal can be detrimental to your mouth and teeth. Without a root canal, a severe tooth infection can spread along the gum line to your other teeth. Teeth can then turn yellow or black, and dental infections can become serious and spread to other areas through your blood. Therefore, it’s strongly advised that you listen to your dentist and endodontist and take their recommendations seriously. A root canal is a routine dental treatment that can be performed to save your natural tooth while cleaning out damaged or diseased tissue. On the other hand, an apicoectomy, which is known as a root-end resection is used when a traditional root canal is not an option. This is a minor surgery for an endodontist that is done through the gum to directly access the tooth roots.

Symptoms to Watch for

There are several symptoms and signs to watch out for and be aware of to help you better determine if you’ll need a root canal. It’s not always easy to tell if you’ll need a root canal but there are obvious signs that will help you determine that it’s what you need. Among the most pronounced root canal symptoms is a persistent toothache. Here is a complete list of symptoms to watch for:

Severe toothache pain upon chewing or application of pressure
Prolonged sensitivity (pain) to hot or cold temperatures (after the heat or cold has been removed)
Discoloration (darkening) of the tooth
Swelling and tenderness in nearby gums
A persistent or recurring pimple on the gums
Tooth decay
Chipped or cracked tooth

Also, after too many procedures, your teeth may eventually give in to wear. Too many dental procedures increase your risk for a root canal treatment. You should also note that sometimes no symptoms are present. You may need one even if your tooth doesn’t hurt because root canals are often used to protect teeth with “dead” nerves from future pain and infection. Unfortunately, when you have infected pulp of the tooth it won’t heal on its own and requires a root canal to properly be treated.

The Procedure in Detail

The procedure is virtually painless and doesn’t take long. The average root canal treatment is 30 to 60 minutes long. More complex cases may take around 90 minutes. You may do better mentally preparing for it when you know more details of the root canal procedure and what to expect. You can prepare for a root canal in the following ways:

Avoid alcohol and tobacco for a full 24 hours before the procedure
Eat before the procedure
Take a painkiller before the procedure
Ask questions
Get a full night’s sleep before and after

As summarized above, an endodontist is a dentist who specializes in the causes, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and injuries of the teeth’s dental pulp. Root canal therapy requires one or more office visits and will, in most cases, be performed by an endodontist. You may be wondering why most root canals sometimes take two visits. Root canal treatment may require two visits to your dentist depending on the tooth. The first visit will focus on removing infected or damaged tissue in your tooth. The first step in the procedure is to X-ray the area to see the shape of the root canals and determine if there are any signs of infection in the surrounding bone. Next, your endodontist will use local anesthesia to numb the area near the tooth. It’ll help to make you feel more relaxed and put you at ease. You shouldn’t worry about feeling any pain or discomfort during the procedure. Endodontists are experts in administering numbing medications, especially in patients who traditionally have problems getting and staying numb. Following the numbing, the specialist will place a rubber dam (a sheet of rubber) around the tooth to keep the area dry and free of saliva during the treatment. Next, the endodontist will drill an access hole into the tooth. The pulp, along with bacteria and related debris, will then be removed from the tooth. The cleaning-out process is made possible using root canal files. A series of these files of increasing diameter are each subsequently placed into the access hole and worked down the full length of the tooth to scrape and scrub the sides of the root canals. They will periodically use water or sodium hypochlorite to flush away the debris. After the tooth is fully cleaned, it’ll need to be sealed. Depending on your tooth and situation, it may be sealed on the same visit or you’ll return back to seal it. A temporary filling is placed in the exterior hole in the tooth to keep contaminants out between appointments if for any reason root canal therapy is not completed on the same day. When it’s time to finish up the procedure, a sealer paste and a rubber compound called gutta-percha are placed into the tooth’s root canal to fill the interior of the tooth. Also, a filling is placed to fill the exterior access hole created at the beginning of treatment. You may need other and additional dental work on the tooth, depending upon the extent of the tooth decay and other weaknesses. A crown, crown and post, or other restoration may be needed to be placed on the tooth to protect it, prevent it from breaking, and restore it to full function. A dental crown after a root canal provides reinforcement to your tooth and restores its health and functionality. Although adding a dental crown is not necessary after every root canal procedure, all root canal procedures need tooth reinforcement. These are options and possibilities you should be prepared to discuss with your endodontist. Have your questions ready so together you can talk about your choices and understand what will be best for you and your tooth.

Recovery Time & Your Options

You’re likely wondering what you should expect after root canal therapy. The best part is that this treatment should relieve any pain you were feeling previously. Minimize any chewing in the area until your root canal procedure is completely finished with a permanent filling, and crown if need be. You want to avoid contaminating the area and having to retreat root canal. Your tooth also might be fragile and you want to avoid it from breaking. After the root canal is complete and sealed, foods like yogurt, eggs, ice cream, and milkshakes are good for you to eat. Some fruits are quite soft which would make them the best type of foods after a root canal. Soft fruits are not only good for teeth but also general health. Fruits such as peaches, bananas, applesauce, and mangoes are excellent options. If your tooth is sensitive the first few days after the treatment you should know that this is normal. It’s because of the natural tissue inflammation and can be especially true if there was pain or an infection in the tooth and area before the root canal was done. You should be able to alleviate any discomfort or sensitivity using over-the-counter pain medication. Typically, most people can return to their normal schedule and routine the next day. As far as your oral care goes, continue to brush and floss as you would twice per day. After the procedure, it is important to take good care of your teeth. Also, see your dentist at your regularly scheduled times throughout the year. Since the final step of root canal therapy is the application of a restoration such as a crown or a filling, it won’t be obvious to anyone that sees your teeth that a root canal was performed. Be glad to know that root canal treatment is highly successful and an attractive option when you’re in pain or have an infection. The procedure has more than a 95 percent success rate, and most teeth fixed with root canal therapy can last a lifetime. If there are complications of a root canal, then sometimes re-treatment can be an option and successful. However, other times you may require endodontic surgery which can give you your best chance at saving the tooth. As mentioned above, the most common endodontic surgical procedure is an apicoectomy or root-end resection. It will relieve the inflammation or infection in the bony area around the end of your tooth. In this procedure, the gum tissue is opened, the infected tissue is removed, and sometimes the very end of the root is removed. A small filling may be placed to seal the root canal. Saving your natural tooth is always the best choice if you have one and root canal therapy can do just this for you. Your natural teeth are used for chewing many foods and maintaining proper nutrition. The only alternative to a root canal procedure is having the tooth extracted. You may require more treatment time and additional procedures to help with the shifting of other teeth that are impacted by the alternatives.

If you need a root canal Give Grand Parkway Smiles a Call today at 8322220016 so that one of our Endodontists can get you out of pain.