If you’ve been struggling with persistent dental sensitivity or a severe toothache, there’s a chance that a root canal is needed to restore your pain-free smile. Before you worry – it won’t be painful. In fact, this emergency dental service alleviates the discomfort and soreness you’re experiencing! If you have any questions about this tooth-saving treatment, you can read on to learn more or contact our Dallas dental team so we can provide you with the answers.
Pain is one of the most common symptoms of considerable decay or a severe infection. So, if you feel a sharp, stabbing pain when biting down or you’re struggling with dull, persistent discomfort, then you should call our Dallas dental team ASAP. We also recommend getting in touch if you’re experiencing other abnormal dental symptoms, including:
After you settle into the treatment chair and are ready to begin, one of our highly-experienced and gentle dentists will use a local anesthetic to numb the area of your mouth that they’ll be working on. Once we confirm that you can’t feel anything, we will use special instruments to access the inner chambers of your tooth. From there, we will remove the pulp that’s triggering your pain, sanitize the area, and fill it with a synthetic gutta-percha material. We’ll also place a dental crown over the top of the tooth to protect it moving forward.
Important note: If you are worried about the procedure or you struggle with dental-related anxiety, ask us about sedation dentistry!
Let’s start with one of the biggest benefits: the procedure is virtually pain-free thanks to powerful numbing agents, advancements in the field of dentistry, and cutting-edge technology. Another important benefit to mention here is that root canal treatment can save your tooth, preventing the need for an extraction and replacement (i.e., dental bridge, denture, dental implant). Finally, the restoration used to cover the treated tooth will be lifelike in look and feel. So, no unwanted attention will be drawn to your smile.
The root canal procedure should be completely painless, as your mouth will be numbed with a local anesthetic. However, you may experience some soreness for a few days afterward. This is temporary and can be managed with over-the-counter pain relievers, like acetaminophen and ibuprofen. You should avoid chewing hard foods during the recovery period, as this can worsen the discomfort. Your mouth should start feeling back to normal after about three days. If you have any concerns, don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Both the American Dental Association and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists agree that root canals can be performed safely during pregnancy. Modern shielding techniques minimize the risk of harm to a developing fetus, and local anesthetics should also pose no risk to your baby. The American Pregnancy Association recommends reducing medication exposure as much as possible, but they also highlight that when a mother is in pain, it places stress on the baby, so pain management is still very important. Your dentist will discuss your medication options with you to find the safe choice for you and your baby.
Root canal treatment has a high success rate, but there is still a small chance that your procedure will need to be redone at some point in the future. This can be due to a variety of different reasons like saliva contaminating the tooth or a significant delay between completing the root canal and having the permanent crown placed. There is also the possibility of new problems threatening a tooth that was treated successfully, like new decay or damage to a crown.
Dental insurance primarily covers routine care, like checkups and cleanings, that could have prevented the need for a root canal. However, most dental insurance plans will cover a portion of the cost after you have paid your deductible and before reading your annual maximum. Most insurance providers consider root canal treatment to be a major restorative procedure, meaning that it is often covered at about 50%. Just remember that every plan is different, so it is best to reach out to your provider directly to confirm your coverage.