Root Canal Therapy – Rock Hill, SC
Preserving Your Natural Smile
Severe toothaches and sensitivity in a specific tooth are a primary signs of an infection that’s hidden below the surface of your tooth inside the inner chamber. Treating this sensitive area requires root canal therapy, which is a special treatment that offers countless benefits. Unfortunately, root canals are also notoriously misunderstood, and rumored to be painful. You’ll be pleased to know that this isn’t actually true. Nowadays, your dentist uses advanced technology that makes root canal therapy in Rock Hill, SC fast, effective, and virtually painless. At Coombs, Ross & Sourlis Family Dentistry, our team does everything we can to make our patients comfortable, including offering sedation!
What Is Root Canal Therapy?
Root canal therapy in Rock Hill allows our team to save your natural tooth from extraction by accessing and removing the inner infected portion called the pulp. This is a cluster of nerves and tissue that’s hidden in the chamber of your tooth and is causing your toothache. When a cavity goes left untreated, harmful oral bacteria are able to gain access to this area and infect it, causing severe pain that can spread to other teeth if it’s not addressed early on.
During a root canal procedure, Dr. Coombs, Dr. Ross, or Dr. Sourlis will remove the infected pulp, sanitize the inside of your tooth, and fill it with a composite resin to seal it off from further harm. After topping it with a protective dental crown made to look identical to your natural teeth, you’ll be able to use your treated tooth just as you would before it was infected.
Signs You Need a Root Canal
The most common symptom that we notice patients who end up needing a root canal exhibit is a severe toothache. This is because the nerves in their teeth are exposed to harmful substances in their mouth. Some other symptoms to look out for at home include:
- Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures.
- Pain when you bite or chew food.
- Swollen or red gums.
- A pimple-like bump on the gums.
If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s important to seek help immediately. At Coombs, Ross & Sourlis Family Dentistry, we offer urgent emergency dental care and will fit you in for an appointment as soon as possible to ensure that you don’t have to be in pain longer than necessary.
Getting a Root Canal
When you visit our dental office for a root canal in Rock Hill, we’ll begin by making sure you feel comfortable. If necessary, we may suggest sedation dentistry to allow us to work more quickly and efficiently so you don’t have to sit in the treatment chair for too long.
We’ll start the procedure by numbing the area surrounding your affected tooth with local anesthesia. That way, you won’t be able to feel any pain or discomfort. After that, we’ll make a small access point in your tooth to reach the inner chamber where your infected pulp is located. Using special small tools, we’ll remove the pulp and sanitize the inside of your tooth to make sure that no harmful oral bacteria remain. Using a putty-like substance called composite resin, we’ll fill the tooth to restore its shape. For extra strength and protection, we’ll cement a customized crown on top of it.
If you’re having severe tooth pain and need immediate attention, don’t hesitate to contact our dental office today. We’ll guide you through necessary first-aid and make sure that you’re protected from any further harm by providing you with high-quality and thorough treatment.
Understanding the Cost of Root Canals
The cost of root canal therapy can vary from case to case. During your consultation, we will share some specific numbers with you. With the help of insurance, financing, and other provisions, most people find that their treatment is surprisingly affordable. Our team will walk you through the financial aspect of your care so you do not run into any unpleasant surprises.
Factors That Can Affect Root Canal Cost
There are several factors that may have a bearing on the cost of your treatment:
- The specific tooth that requires treatment. Some teeth are more challenging to treat than others. Therefore, they incur higher fees. This is often true of molars, since they have more complex anatomy than the teeth toward the front of the mouth.
- The overall complexity of your case. We can perform most root canal treatments right here in our office. Sometimes, though, we need to refer patients to a specialist whose pricing structure is different from our own.
- Additional services. Most patients need a crown after undergoing root canal therapy. The crown may cost several hundred dollars.
Is It Cheaper to Pull My Tooth?
The upfront cost of a tooth extraction is lower than that of root canal therapy. However, root canal therapy is actually the superior value when you think about its long-term benefits. With a root canal, you preserve your tooth. You may enjoy reliable function from it for many years following your treatment.
With an extraction, you should get the tooth replaced as soon as possible. Otherwise, you may face some oral health complications. The cost of an extraction plus a dental implant can be significantly higher than that of root canal therapy.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Root Canals?
Most of the time, dental insurance does cover root canal therapy. Depending on your policy, your treatment may be classified as a minor or major procedure, so anywhere from 50 – 80% of its cost may be covered. Our experienced team can help you figure out how your policy applies. We will also file claims on your behalf and do all we can to make sure your out-of-pocket costs are kept to a minimum.
Other Options for Making Root Canal Treatment Affordable
In addition to insurance, there are a couple of provisions that might make it easier for you to afford your root canal treatment:
- We accept financing through CareCredit, a third-party lender that provides low-interest and no-interest payment plans for dental services. The application process is fast, and most patients are deemed eligible for credit.
- The VIP Smile Club. Our in-house discount plan covers all of your preventive care. It also provides a 15% discount on other services, such as root canal therapy. Signing up is easy, and you can start to use your benefits right away.
Are you interested in learning more about root canal therapy and its cost? Our team is prepared to assist you. Get in touch with us today to book a consultation.
Root Canal FAQs
Would It Be Easier or Better to Just Remove the Tooth Entirely?
Another way to phrase this question: why is it important to save the tooth? Although extracting the tooth and starting all over may seem like a better option than undergoing root canal treatment, we almost always prefer saving a natural tooth. Although implants come pretty close, they still don’t quite match up to what your natural teeth can do. They help you know how hard you should bite down on your food and have other abilities that can’t be replicated prosthetically. Plus, it’s much more affordable to treat a tooth rather than remove and replace it.
How Long Does Root Canal Treatment Take?
Depending on the severity of decay or damage, root canal treatment may take about two hours to complete, but it may go over that. This amount of time includes allowing the local anesthetic to kick in, performing the procedure, taking digital impressions, and fabricating your custom crown. Beforehand, we’ll let you know how much time to budget for this treatment so that you can plan your schedule accordingly.
Will I Feel Pain After the Anesthetic Wears Off?
Because the pulp or nerve of the tooth will have been removed, you shouldn’t feel significant pain after root canal treatment. You may, however, feel slightly sore when the anesthetic fades, but this should only last a day or two, and it shouldn’t interfere with your ability to eat. If you do experience real pain or other strange symptoms (such as a fever), or if your discomfort lasts for several days afterward, you can contact our office.
Do I Have to Be in Pain to Need a Root Canal?
No, you could feel perfectly fine and still need root canal treatment. Pain is a common symptom, but it is not required in order to get this procedure. The only requirement is that the pulp is somehow compromised, whether through damage or decay, putting the whole tooth at risk. If you have questions about your treatment, feel free to ask us for clarification. We want to make sure you understand why you need a procedure and how it will benefit your smile.