Root Canal Dentist Royal Palm Beach

How much does a root canal cost?

Costs can vary from $600-$1400 per tooth depending on which tooth needs to be treated. Front teeth are the least costly because they usually have a single canal and are easier to treat. Back teeth can have up to 4 canals and are more time consuming to treat.

In addition, it is also important to find out what else is needed to fully restore the tooth. At a minimum, you will need a filling or buildup and in most instances a crown is required for optimum longevity. These added procedures can cost an additional $300-$1500 per tooth.   

What happens after the canals are cleaned and the root canal is completed?

The goal is to stop leakage into the tooth. This is why every root canal has to be sealed with a filling, within two weeks of completion. Certain teeth will require a crown as well. The temporary filling is only meant to seal the tooth for up to two weeks. It will leak after two weeks even if it remains in place! Some patients do not return until the temp filling has fallen out after a whole year. These teeth will have a much higher failure rate.

How painful is root canal treatment?

If you are 100% numb you won’t experience any discomfort during the procedure. So why do people hear negative stories about root canals? That’s because they were not 100% numb. When you have a severely inflamed tooth, a local anesthetic will not be able to fully numb the tooth. This is why dentists remind patients to take care of their root canals before they develop pain. Unfortunately, many patients postpone their treatment. These individuals are generally the ones that end up with a negative experience.

In addition, some individuals are difficult to numb no matter what procedure they need. These types of patients will have difficulty regardless of the treatment needed. However, there are certain injection techniques that help the majority of these patients. If you have had difficulty getting numb, inform your dentist.

I already had a root canal, why would my existing root canal fail?

There are multiple reasons why root canals fail, but what they all have in common is the presence of bacteria which ultimately results in failure. Usually retreating the tooth will solve the problem; however, the success rate is typically lower than a first-time root canal. Common reasons for a root canal failure are:

Leakage
Leakage is the most common reason why root canals fail. No matter how well a root canal is treated, some bacteria will always remain within the canals. Over time the restorations will leak and supply the bacteria with much-needed nutrients. Eventually, they will work their way toward the tip of the root and cause inflammation and eventually infection. This is when we consider the root canal to be failing. Therefore, having crowns with good margins is crucial in order to minimize/stop the leakage for as long as possible.

Complex Root Anatomy
As explained in the previous paragraph, one can never clean the canals 100%. That being said, one should try to clean and remove all possible pulp tissue as effectively as possible. Any remaining tissue will serve as a food source for those remaining bacteria. If your tooth has a more complex anatomy, the instruments will not be able to reach many areas. As a result, the tooth will have a higher chance of failure. However, It is still worth saving the tooth rather than removing it.

Cracks and Fracture Lines
Sometimes root canals will fail due to invisible fracture lines. These may not be visible to the naked eye but they resemble a three-lane highway for oral bacteria. The failure rate is guaranteed and it occurs rapidly depending on the extent of the fracture line. Extraction is the only option as the tooth cannot be predictably treated.

How long is a root canal appointment?

Depending on the complexity of your tooth, it varies based on how long it takes to get you profoundly numb, how wide you can open and remain open, how easy it is to find the canals, etc. It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to properly start and finish a root canal. As a general rule, the further back the tooth is, the longer it will take to treat. 

Is it better to save the tooth with a root canal or extract it?

Always remember than there is nothing better than keeping your own tooth if that is an option. Yes, you can always get a bridge or an implant but nothing will feel and function 100% like your own natural tooth.  The only time we would recommend extraction is if the tooth is too compromised and longevity is very questionable. 

Is it better to save the tooth with a root canal or extract it?

Always remember than there is nothing better than keeping your own tooth if that is an option. Yes, you can always get a bridge or an implant but nothing will feel and function 100% like your own natural tooth.  The only time we would recommend extraction is if the tooth is too compromised and longevity is very questionable. 

Why does my tooth smell so bad during a root canal?

That is the smell of dead tissue that is trapped inside your tooth and is being metabolized by bacteria. It is no different than leaving food on the kitchen counter and let it spoil. This is also the reason why non-vital teeth will always get infected at some point.

Can antibiotics save me from a root canal?

No. In order for the antibiotic to work, it must come into contact with the bacteria. In a non-vital tooth, there is no blood supply inside the tooth, thus, the antibiotic cannot work its way into the tooth.

If you do have a vital tooth, there is blood supply that could carry the antibiotic but it will not help the nerve to heal itself. This means that the nerve will eventually die, loose the blood supply, and get infected.  Antibiotics can only treat infections outside the tooth.

Why am I having pain after a root canal treatment

Any post-op pain originates from the tissue surrounding the tooth. It is purely inflammation.  Instrumenting the tooth during a root canal will irritate the tissue and will cause soreness. Some individuals are more sensitive and experience more discomfort while others feel very little discomfort. You can be assured that in 99% of cases, the soreness will resolve in 2-14 days.  Those cases that do not resolve will need to be evaluated by your dentist.

What is the alternative to a root canal?

Extraction is the only other option.

Do I need a crown after a root canal?

Before answering that you need to know why teeth are crowned. Ignoring the cosmetic aspect of a crown, the primary purpose of a crown is to protect your tooth from fracturing.  Every time a tooth receives a root canal, it will greatly lose its strength because we have to remove a fair amount of tooth structure from the center of the tooth in order to access the canals. Further, non-vital teeth are less hydrated and become more brittle. Placing a crown will greatly reduce the likelihood of a catastrophic fracture.

Back teeth are subjected to a lot of biting forces and statistically speaking are by far more likely to fracture. Front teeth are not used for chewing and are by far least likely to fracture. Therefore, your back teeth would greatly benefit from a crown. Some dentists prefer to crown front teeth as well but at our office, we typically do not do so unless there is a good reason.  Crowning your front teeth will weaken them at the neck of the tooth, and will be more prone to fracture at gumline.

Can I get a root canal and crown in one visit?

It can be done but it depends on your specific case. Most root canals are performed on teeth that are either infected or are in pain and cannot or should not be completed in one visit. Also, sometimes the root canal tooth does not settle and requires being re-accessed. When you get your crown right away, the only way we could access the tooth would be to cut through your crown, hence, damaging your brand-new crown.  Other times, root canal teeth need to be monitored for months prior to crown fabrication because not every tooth can be saved with a root canal. As mentioned above, it is case specific and you should discuss this with your dentist. We almost always recommend to wait few weeks before you start with the crown.

I broke my tooth after a root canal. Now what?

It all depends on the extend of the fracture. If it is minor, it can be restored with a crown. If it is an extensive and deep fracture that extends far below the gum, extraction will be your only available option. This is the reason teeth should be crowned after a root canal.