Saving Your Natural Tooth
During a root canal procedure, the tooth’s pulp (the living tissue inside) is removed, and the space is then filled with specialized, medicated dental materials. This restores the tooth to its full functionality. Root canal therapy not only helps in preserving your natural tooth, thereby extending its lifespan, but it also maintains the health of the jaw bone and surrounding tissues. Opting to save your natural tooth can prevent further pain and additional expenses in the future.
There are several indicators that you might need root canal therapy, including:
- Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures.
- Intense pain in the tooth.
- Redness or swelling of the gums around the tooth.
- Discolouration of the affected tooth.
- The presence of an abscess (or pimple-like swelling) on the gums.
The Root Canal Treatment Plan
A root canal treatment usually requires one or two office visits and is performed by either a dentist or an endodontist. Here is how we perform your root canal:
Diagnosis and Treatment Plan
The initial step involves taking an x-ray of the tooth and the adjacent bone to determine the root cause of your symptoms. Your specialist might recommend antibiotics to manage any infection and inflammation. The discomfort from an abscess, often a significant source of pain during a root canal, is primarily due to the pressure from the swelling. By reducing this inflammation beforehand, the procedure becomes less painful as this factor is eliminated.
Prepping the Tooth
When it’s time for the root canal, we will carefully numb the area, ensuring your gums, teeth, and surrounding tissues are properly anesthetized. Your comfort and peace of mind are our top priorities. Once you are comfortably numb, we’ll create an access hole in the tooth. Through this, the pulp, bacteria, decayed nerve tissue, and any debris will be meticulously removed.
Sealing the Tooth
If the abscess is particularly severe, we might place medication inside the tooth to ensure any infection is fully eradicated. Should the procedure necessitate multiple visits, we will place a temporary filling in the meantime. By this stage, you should already begin to experience some relief. We will only permanently seal the tooth once it has been thoroughly cleaned and is in a healthy state.
Cost of a root canal in Toronto
The cost of dental treatment varies widely, but saving the tooth with a root canal is more cost-efficient in the long run. With a typical insurance plan, root canal therapy has an average out-of-pocket cost of around $200 to $500+. After an oral exam, we would be happy to provide you with an accurate quote for your insurance company so you can find out your actual out-of-pocket costs. Without insurance, you can expect to pay anywhere from $600 to $1200+ for treatment.
- The severity of the infection.
- The location of the infection in your mouth.
- The health of the surrounding teeth and gums.
- Complications which may require more time or a delicate and experienced touch.
Why is there such a wide ballpark estimate of the cost? When we generate a quote for root canal therapy we consider factors like:
No dental practice can provide an accurate quote over the phone. Every case is different so it's important to speak with a dentist who can evaluate your unique situation and provide you with all your treatment options for your consideration.
Is there an alternative treatment to root canals?
An abscess or infection in your tooth is extremely dangerous and considered an urgent health matter. Many people think of root canals as some sort of ‘lesser evil’ to end excruciating dental pain. More important than that, root canals remove an infection that can spread and become life-threatening, requiring much more urgent and invasive care. This is why we work tirelessly to fight the reputation that root canal therapy has gained and why your comfort and peace-of-mind is so important to us.
If you think you may have an infection but you really don’t want a root canal, we strongly encourage you to reach out to us anyways. We will not perform any procedure without your full understanding and consent and may have alternative options for you with the ultimate goal of resolving your infection.
Contact us today
to schedule an initial consultation & exam.
Your consultation will include an examination of everything from your teeth, gums and soft tissues to the shape and condition of your bite. Generally, we want to see how your whole mouth looks and functions. Before we plan your treatment we want to know everything about the health and aesthetic of your smile, and, most importantly, what you want to achieve so we can help you get there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Damage can occur due to deep decay, trauma, dead nerve, a loose filling or crown or a crack or chip in the tooth.
Thanks to modern techniques and technology and a compassionate dental philosophy our highly trained team of dentists and hygienists can provide root canal treatments with minimal to no pain at all.
By the time you realize you need a root canal, your tooth pulp and nerve have already begun to decay. This infected tissue will never fully heal and would only become infected again. Removing the pulp is the only safe option.
A root canal treatment usually requires one or two office visits. Simple or minor root canal cases usually take about 30 to 60 minutes of treatment, while a more complex case take longer– around 90 minutes.
That depends on what sort of insurance coverage you have. After a consultation, we can provide you with an estimate to send to your provider. We strongly encourage you to make a root canal a high priority. Please speak to us if you feel any hesitation.
You typically need a dental crown after a root canal on your back grinding teeth, molars and premolars. Front teeth, canines, and incisors may not require a dental crown.
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