Have you been told by your dentist that you need a root canal?  This can be a frightening thought for most of us but you’re not alone.

Millions of Americans get a root canal every year, and due to a long standing stigma around root canals, we tend to fear the thought of going through this procedure.

The truth is, with modern technology and techniques, root canals have become a very routine dental procedure much like getting a filing done.  With a few remote exceptions root canals can be done with minimal discomfort.

The inside of our teeth(the pulp) are actually soft unlike the hard outer parts (enamel and dentin) of our tooth.  The inside, soft part of our tooth can become infected or even badly inflamed.  If this is happens to our tooth, over time the pulp of the tooth will die and eventually cause an abscess which can be extremely painful.

Fortunately, as dentists we have a wonderful way to treat these teeth before they become painful and the tooth can be saved.  The treatment is a root canal procedure, where the inside soft tissue (pulp) is removed and the tooth is sterilized internally and finally filled with a rubbery material called Gutta Purcha to seal it off.  This is an amazing procedure that allows us to save our tooth and avoid a potentially very painful situation.

If you have a tooth bothering you and you are wondering if you need a root canal, you should immediately consult your dentist.  Here at Desert Family Dental we offer free consultations because we want to help you avoid that painful tooth ache that we all fear.

Your dentist will likely take an x-ray of your tooth and perform several tests on the tooth to determine if the tooth is vital and if there is any pathology at the end of the root (like an abscess). After testing the tooth, your dentist should be able to tell you the condition of your tooth and the best option.

If you would like a second opinion, we also offer free second opinions here at Desert Family Dental, feel free to give us a call today.

If you have been told by your dental professional that you need a root canal and you’re not comfortable with this decision, we recommend that you get a second opinion.  If you know for sure you need a root canal, unfortunately there aren’t many other options.

Extraction of the tooth is an option that will relieve your pain but now you’re missing a tooth and will need either a bridge or an implant.(link to implant and bridge pages). The beauty of a root canal is you can be relieved of the discomfort you are currently experiencing and you also get to retain your own tooth.

Once upon a time, root canals used to be one of the more uncomfortable procedures done in dentistry.  Now however, due to improved anesthetics, technology and techniques, root canals are very routine procedures and most the time can be completed in one appointment.

On a rare occasion a tooth treated by a root canal can have what we call a “flare up”  and cause extra discomfort for the first few days after the procedure.  This would be the exception to a root canal however and definitely not the experience of most root canal patients.

Here at Desert Family Dental we go out of our way to make this procedure as painless as possible.  Our Doctors have taken advanced courses to learn the latest techniques and you will love your experience here.

This is a very common question we get here in our office.  It is however very difficult to answer due to a wide range of situations such as what tooth needs to be treated and wether the tooth has been previously treated endodontically.  Generally speaking though, the cost of root canals range from $700 to $1100.  If you would like a more specific quote please come see us for a free consult here at Desert Family Dental.