Seaway Family Dental - Cornwall

Root Canal in Cornwall

Root canals can provide quick and relatively pain-free relief, while also saving your natural tooth. With careful and precise techniques, a root canal can remove infected or damaged tissue from the tooth, relieving pain and preventing further damage or tooth loss.
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Saving Your Natural Tooth

During a root canal procedure, the infected or damaged pulp of the tooth is removed and replaced with special dental materials to restore the tooth to full function. This not only saves the natural tooth, extending its lifetime, but also protects and preserves the jaw bone and supporting tissues around the tooth. Saving the natural tooth wherever possible can also prevent future pain and expenses. Root canal therapy is a safe and effective way to maintain your natural smile and oral health.

Root canal therapy may be necessary if you experience any of the following signs:

  • Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures.
  • Severe toothache pain.
  • Red or swollen gums near the affected tooth.
  • Discolouration of the tooth.
  • An abscess or pimple on the gums near the tooth.

The Root Canal Treatment Plan

Depending on the severity of the abscess, we may apply medication inside the tooth to fully clear up any infection. If the procedure requires multiple visits, a temporary filling will be placed. At this point, you should feel some relief from any discomfort. Once your tooth is completely cleaned and healthy, it can be permanently sealed with a filling or crown. We take the time to ensure that the root canal is thorough and complete to prevent any future issues with the tooth.

Diagnosis and Treatment Plan

The first step is to undergo an X-ray of the affected tooth and surrounding bone to determine the cause of your discomfort. In some cases, your dentist or endodontist may prescribe antibiotics to control infection and reduce inflammation before the root canal procedure. This can help to relieve the pressure from infected swelling, which is often the cause of pain during a root canal. By reducing inflammation before the procedure, the root canal can be performed with less discomfort and a smoother overall experience.

Prepping the Tooth

We will carefully numb the affected area with local anesthesia to ensure your comfort. Once you are comfortable, an access hole will be drilled into the tooth, and the infected or damaged pulp, bacteria, decayed nerve tissue, and related debris will be removed. Your comfort and peace of mind are important to us, and we take the time to ensure that you are fully numb and comfortable before beginning the procedure.

Sealing the Tooth

We may apply medication inside the tooth to completely clear up any infection, depending on the severity of the abscess. If the procedure requires multiple visits, we will apply a temporary filling to the access hole to protect the tooth until your next appointment. At this point, you may already feel some relief from any pain or discomfort you were experiencing. It’s important to note that your tooth can only be permanently sealed with a filling or crown once it is thoroughly cleaned and healthy. We take the time to ensure that the root canal procedure is complete and thorough to prevent any future issues with the tooth.

Cost Of A Root Canal In Cornwall

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.

Why is there such a wide ballpark estimate of the cost? When we generate a quote for root canal therapy we consider factors like:
  • 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.

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

Most patients are able to drive themselves home after a root canal, as the effects of the local anesthesia wear off relatively quickly. However, it’s always a good idea to have someone accompany you to your appointment, just in case you experience any dizziness or discomfort.

After a root canal, it’s important to practice good oral hygiene, including brushing twice a day and flossing regularly. Your dentist may also recommend a follow-up appointment to check the health of the tooth and ensure that it is healing properly.

Root canal treatment can usually be completed in one or two office visits, depending on the severity of the infection and the complexity of the procedure.

Modern root canal procedures are typically relatively pain-free, and are performed with local anesthesia to numb the area around the affected tooth. Most patients experience little to no discomfort during the procedure.

If an infected or damaged tooth is left untreated, the infection can spread to other parts of the body and cause serious health complications. In some cases, the only alternative to a root canal is to extract the affected tooth.

Saving a natural tooth with a root canal is usually preferred because it maintains chewing function and prevents adjacent teeth from shifting.

You can resume normal eating habits after a root canal, but it’s advisable to avoid hard or sticky foods for a few days to prevent discomfort.

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