Root Canal Therapy
So you have been advised that you need root canal therapy for one of your teeth… What now? Some of the common questions I get asked at this point are:
Is it going to be painful or uncomfortable?
Not at all. You will feel absolutely nothing while the treatment is being performed: we ensure that local anaesthetic is administered correctly and has taken full effect before we start the treatment. If you are super anxious you may choose to be sedated for the procedure.
However later on when the local anaesthetic wears off you may experience some minor discomfort, for example tenderness when chewing for a couple of days. This usually subsides quite quickly.
In some cases additional medications such antibiotics or anti inflammatories may be required to ensure your comfort.
How much is it going to cost?
The cost of treatment varies according to:
- Tooth to be treated and number of canals in the tooth
- Any complicating factors such as previous unsuccessful root canal therapy
- Qualifications of the doctor
Prices range from $600 to $3500
When obtaining quotes for root canal therapy you need to find out if the final restoration in included in the treatment quote. It may be a simple small filling or the tooth may require a crown.
Specialist endodontists tend to charge on average higher prices than general practitioners performing root canal therapy. They also tend to deal with more complicated cases. So a specialist appointment may be required in select cases with increased risk of adverse outcome.
How long is the procedure going to take? How many visits?
Typically root canal treatment takes two or three visits. Very simple teeth can occasionally be done in a single visit. Complex teeth may require additional appointments. We quote you on the full treatment irrespective of how many visits it takes. In addition, the final restoration in the tooth will often require extra appointments. We will explain all the requirements to you before we start the treatment.
Are there any alternative treatments?
Unfortunately, once the nerve in the tooth is damaged, there are no alternative treatments we can offer you short of extracting the tooth. If you are keen on keeping the tooth long term, the sooner you have root therapy completed the more chances of success you will have. Delaying the treatment will often result in complications increasing the risk of treatment failure.