Endodontist, Root Canal in Richmond Tx
Root canal treatment is a common dental procedure, usually carried out by a dental specialist known as an endodontist. It is commonly recommended to patients suffering from an infection or tooth decay. Root canal treatment can be an effective way of eliminating the infection, while also saving your tooth (often, the only alternative is to have the affected tooth removed). Despite its benefits, many patients are anxious about getting root canal because of its scary reputation. Much of this reputation is a myth based on old dental practices from decades ago – due to modern technology and anaesthetics, today’s root canal treatment is virtually pain-free. The following guide offers an in-depth guide to root canal and its associated treatments such as root canal retreatment and root canal microsurgery apicoectomy. This guide also explains what an endodontist is and why you should always choose a qualified endodontist to carry out your root canal.
Root Canal Cost
Anterior Root Canal $918.00
Bicuspid Root Canal $1033.00
Molar Root Canal $1249.00
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What is Root Canal?
Root canal is a procedure that is commonly used to remove an infection within the tooth. This could be infected pulp within the tooth or an infected nerve. Such infections can occur if a tooth is cracked or decayed. Bacteria finds its way into the crack and begins to thrive inside the tooth, resulting in an infection. This infection is usually accompanied by pain (especially a sensitivity to hot and cold foods). There may also be swelling or pimples on the gums or darkening of the tooth. The procedure involves removing infected pulp or an infected nerve from the tooth. The inside of the tooth is then cleaned out and sealed. As a result, the infection is gone and the tooth is saved.
What happens if I refuse to get a root canal?
If an infection is caught early enough, root canal can enable your tooth to be saved. If you choose to avoid root canal treatment, the infection in your tooth could get worse. There may eventually be no way of saving the tooth and a tooth extraction may be the only option. Avoiding the procedure may even cause the infection to spread. It could end up affecting other neighboring teeth and potentially resulting in the need for multiple treatments. An infection may be painful and this pain could get much worse. On some occasions, a toothache will go away on its own – but this does not mean that the infection has gone away. It could simply be a sign that the infection has completely decayed the nerve causing total numbness. Meanwhile, the infection is likely to still be raging on inside your tooth..
What can I expect from the root canal procedure?
The root canal procedure is carried out by a dental specialist known as an endodontist. At Grand Parkway Smiles our Endodontist is Dr. Sara Gomez. The treatment is usually conducted over several appointments. Before the treatment begins, a 3D x-ray will be taken of the tooth to get an idea of the damage. Your endodontist will inject the gum with a local anesthetic that will effectively numb the area around the tooth (if you have a fear of injections, Iv sedation is offered as an alternative form of pain relief). A rubber dam will then be placed over the tooth to keep it dry. Your endodontist will then drill a small access hole into your tooth. A series of small files will then be inserted into the hole and used to remove any infected pulp or nerve tissue from deep within the tooth. This is done until the tooth chamber is thoroughly cleaned out. At this point, your endodontist may choose to fill the space with a rubber substance called gutta-percha, or they may decide to delay this stage for a second appointment. If they choose to delay it, a temporary filling will be used to block the hole until it is filled during the next appointment. After the tooth has been sealed, an endodontist will then likely recommend another appointment to fully restore the tooth. This usually includes fortifying the weakened tooth with a crown.
What can I expect from the root canal recovery process?
You may experience mild pain for several days after getting root canal treatment. Over-the-counter painkillers will usually be all you need to numb this pain. Eventually the pain should subside – if it doesn’t go away after several days, you should ask your endodontist for a follow-up. Getting a lot of rest and watching what you eat after the treatment will help with the recovery process. If you smoke or vape, it is also recommended that you abstain from these habits for a few days after the treatment.
How to prevent the need for root canal
Root canal is generally carried out as a result of an infection brought on by bacteria entering a fissure in the tooth. Such a fissure could be to decay as a result of poor dental habits. By eliminating these poor dental habits, you can decrease the chance of ever having to need a root canal. Sugary and acidic foods and drinks (particularly soft drinks) are a common cause of decay, and you should be careful of how much of these foods and drinks you consume. Smoking can also cause tooth decay and may also lead to an infection – by quitting smoking you could reduce the chance of ever requiring a root canal. On top of this, make sure that you’re brushing your teeth twice per day – regular and thorough brushing is by far the best thing you can do to fight decay. Cracks in teeth can appear for other reasons. Using your teeth as a tool (such as opening bottles or tearing open packaging) can cause small chips and scratches that could be enough to let in bacteria and cause an infection – regardless of how good your dental habits otherwise are. Injuries to the mouth as a result of not wearing a mouth guard when playing contact sports may also increase the risk of developing infections.
What is Root Canal Retreatment?
On rare occasions, it can be necessary to retreat root canal. Root canal can often last a lifetime, but there may be instances where there are complications with the first procedure, which may result in poor healing or the return of an infection. In other cases, retreatment may be needed months or even years after the initial treatment if new damage is caused to a tooth. An endodontist will be able to determine if further treatment is needed. If they choose to retreat root canal, it will mean having to repeat the procedure in order to clear out the tooth once again and refill it.
What can I expect from the root canal retreatment process?
The root canal retreatment process is likely to be very similar to the original root canal process. It’s possible that the procedure may be a little more thorough to account for any problems that may have caused the retreatment to take place (for instance, there may still be infected matter that is hidden unusually deep down within the tooth that could have been missed during the first treatment). Dr. Sara Gomez, an endodontist will take a 3D x-ray of your tooth to assess the nature of the problem. Local anesthetic will then be applied to numb the area. To re-access the tooth, the crown will have to be dismantled. A hole will be redrilled and the old gutta-percha from your last root canal procedure will be removed. While cleaning out your tooth, special attention will be given to any new anomalies within the tooth. The hole will then be refilled afterwards and a new crown will be placed on the tooth.
What can I expect from the root canal retreatment recovery process?
Recovery from root canal retreatment is much the same as recovery from root canal. There may be pain for a few days afterwards, but this can usually be countered by taking over-the-counter medication for pain relief. You should try to get enough rest and avoid eating chewy and sticky foods. Smoking and vaping should also be avoided. In most cases, you shouldn’t have any further complications. However, if you do notice a recurrence of pain or infection, you should notify your dentist straight away.
How to prevent root canal retreatment
Root canal retreatment may be the result of a fault during the original root canal procedure, in which case you may not be able to prevent it. However, in other cases, it could be the result of not practicing dental hygiene or eating the wrong foods directly after the first root canal procedure. Always listen to the advice of your endodontist after having root canal treatment to avoid the need for root canal retreatment.
What is Root Canal Microsurgery Apicoectomy?
If root canal treatment is unsuccessful and an infection returns, an endodontist may recommend another form of treatment known as root canal microsurgery apicoectomy. This form of treatment is recommended when a traditional root canal isn’t feasible. It’s possible that the pulp cavity may be lined with a hard calcium deposit, making it difficult to access the pulp cavity through the exposed tooth. Microsurgery apicoectomy can be a way of getting around this – instead of accessing the pulp cavity through the exposed tooth, this procedure involves accessing the pulp cavity through the gumline. Root canal microsurgery apicoectomy can prevent further damage to the tooth that traditional root canal may cause. It’s an effective last resort measure for saving a tooth when root canal treatment or root canal retreatment aren’t an option.
What can I expect from the root canal microsurgery apicoectomy process?
Like a root canal, the procedure will likely begin by taking a 3D X-ray to assess the nature of the tooth. You will then be given local anesthetic to help numb the area of the mouth so that you don’t feel any pain during the procedure. Your endodontist will then create a small incision in the gumline. This allows the infection to be accessed from the side or from below. Just like root canal, the infection will then be cleaned out. If root canal treatment was previously carried out, the old gutta percha will be cleared out. The chamber will then be refilled and a biocompatible filing will be used. Finally, the gum margin is sutured together to help close the hole in the gum.
What can I expect from the root canal microsurgery apicoectomy recovery process?
As with root canal, you may experience pain for a few days after the treatment. Take over-the-counter painkillers to help relieve this pain if need be. You should notify your endodontist if pain persists for longer than a few days. Antibiotics may be prescribed to prevent sinus infections if microsurgery was carried out on molars. You should be careful as to what you eat after the treatment and should ideally abstain from habits such as smoking or vaping.
What is an Endodontist?
Throughout this guide we’ve talked a lot about endodontists. An endodontist is a specialized dentist that is trained specifically to conduct procedures such as root canal. They’re focus is on diagnosing tooth pain and eliminating infections as opposed to general dentistry such as cleaning or inserting fillings.
Why choose an endodontist to conduct root canal?
An endodontist is more qualified to carry out root canal than a regular dentist. Endodontists train an additional two years in order to specialize in endodontics (the study of the inside of the tooth). As a result, they have a better knowledge of how to approach an infection and how to eliminate it. Regular dentists can still carry out root canal. However, many will likely recommend you to an endodontist – especially when dealing with complex cases such as retreatment or decay as a result of an injury.
At our Richmond, TX dental surgery, Dr. Sara Gomez is our qualified in-house endodontist that is able to diagnose your problem and carry out root canal to a high level. We can recommend to you the best treatment for your individual case – whether it be root canal, root canal retreatment or root canal microsurgery apicoectomy.