Q: What is a root canal?
A: Root canal therapy refers to the removal, disinfection and sealing of the hollow space inside all teeth where the blood vessels and nerves reside.

Q: How do I know if I need a root canal?
A: Your dentist needs to make the ultimate diagnosis, but common signs include prolonged (over 30 seconds) pain to hot or cold, or unprovoked pain, which could be a dull ache, sharp piercing pain, throbbing and pain when chewing or touching the tooth. Facial swelling can also occur and can have a quite rapid onset and dramatic appearance. This is why early diagnosis and treatment is of the utmost importance.

Q: Are root canals as painful as some people say?
A: Usually root canal therapy is much more comfortable than in past years. Advances in treatment allow us to perform root canals more quickly, easily, comfortably, and better than ever before.

Q: How long does a root canal take?
A: Generally, root canals can be completed in one visit, lasting between one to one and a half hours, depending on the difficulty of the root anatomy.

Q: Does your office perform all types of root canals?
A: No. We perform most root canals, but utilize the skills of our local root canal specialist for some teeth or circumstances.

Q: After the root canal is completed, is the tooth "done"?
A: No. Most teeth in the back portion of your mouth require a crown to protect the tooth from fracturing. Sometimes, teeth in the front area of your mouth, a simple filling can be placed over the access hole instead of a crown.

Q: Do root canals always solve the problem when a tooth hurts?
A: No. Root canal therapy is over 85 percent successful but sometimes, invisible fractures in the root of the teeth or unusual tooth anatomy prevent root canal therapy from being successful.

Q: What other options are available if my tooth needs a root canal and I don't want one?
A: Extraction of the tooth is the most common treatment when a root canal is not desired by the patient. The other option is to do nothing, which is not advised by this office.