What to Expect When You Get Root Canal Therapy

Root canals are quite an unpleasant part of dental care for many people, yet they are often necessary to remove infections and cavities in the tooth before it can get filled. About 15 million root canals are performed in the US each year, so this common procedure holds little to no risk other than mild discomfort, which can induce some anxiety into patients.

Below, we will discuss what you need to know about your root canal before you ever get into the dentist's chair.

Root canal therapy is where the dentist must numb the area of your mouth and drill into the pulpy part of your tooth to remove the infection. The infection must get removed before the tooth can get filled and sealed to remove the decay going on inside. If the decay doesn't get removed, it will likely infect the whole tooth, and while causing some pain, you will likely end up losing the entire tooth and having to have an extraction rather than a root canal.

Root canal therapy is often vital to saving the entire tooth from being overcome by infection when an infection starts in one or both of the pulp chambers in one's tooth. Sometimes severe cracks or chips within a tooth can also result in the need for a root canal.

Root canals are needed for a variety of different reasons, including the following:

• When decay begins in one or both pulp chambers of a tooth
• Severe trauma, chips, or cracks in a tooth that otherwise might result in the tooth being lost
• Broken crowns that allow the bacteria in the pulp of the tooth

In these situations, often a root canal is what saves the tooth from total decay and requiring it to get extracted.

Your dentist will give you anesthetic (usually through shots) to numb the area, and you might feel a few slight pinches when they put the needles in but it should not become painful. Once your tooth is numbed, your dentist will use a small drill to drill into the pulp chamber of the tooth to rid to the infection. The tooth will then get filled and sealed so that the infection can't come back.

The average root canal will cost about $500 to $2000, depending on how extensive the work is that the dentist needs to perform.

If costs concern you, talk to your dental team about setting up a payment plan that works for you before the procedure.

You will likely have tenderness around the tooth that had the root canal for several days after the procedure. To minimize the discomfort, you should follow the instructions given to you by your dentist. If you experience severe swelling or severe pain, please contact your dentist right away.

Dr. Ronald A Murphy DMD and his team provide compassionate care when providing patients with root canal therapy. If you have any questions about getting your root canal therapy completed, we are happy to talk to you before your treatment begins. Please feel free to contact usat your earliest convenience to schedule your appointment.