This procedure has a 95% success rate.
At your consultation, your dentist in Overland Park will examine your tooth and take x-rays to look for signs of an infection.
We will numb your mouth with a local anesthetic before making an access hole into your tooth to reveal the dental pulp. We’ll then scrape away the infected pulp down to the root.
Each canal in the tooth will need to be cleaned, disinfected, and reshaped.
A gutta-percha filling is then placed inside of the tooth to replace the dental pulp.
A crown may be placed over your tooth to protect it from damage and reinfection.
In an anterior (front tooth), the teeth are thinner and contain fewer canals. This means they require less anesthetic, a shorter amount of time, fewer appointments, and may not need a dental crown. An access hole is drilled into the back of the tooth, which makes reaching the dental pulp more complex.
The posterior (back) teeth are the rear molars which can contain up to 4 canals per tooth. Root canal therapy in these teeth may require multiple appointments to thoroughly clean all of the canals.
An access hole is drilled into the chewing surface of the tooth. While root canals in posterior teeth are more common, all canals must be detected and cleaned to prevent root canal failure.
A dental crown is usually placed over a molar to protect it from damage from chewing forces and reinfection now that the tooth is vulnerable.
If you are located in Overland Park or Louisburg, please give us a call. We serve dental patients in all surrounding areas and are only a short drive away.
Regular flossing allows you to clean an additional 40% of your tooth surface.
The aftercare following a root canal is minimal and the most you will notice from your tooth is some slight tenderness or sensitivity in the next few days. You can take anti-inflammatory pain medication to help with this as it subsides.
Other than that, eat soft foods for a few days and avoid hard, crunchy, or sticky foods. Wait until the anesthetic wears off to eat or drink hot liquids. Smoking and alcohol should be avoided while you heal.
Brush and floss your teeth like you normally would but try not to disturb the tooth that received the root canal. For the first 24 hours, you should rest and keep your head elevated to reduce swelling.
Many things can happen if you don’t treat a tooth infection, but none of them are good. The infection can spread to the surrounding teeth, putting the rest of your smile in jeopardy. At worst, it can spread to your bloodstream and cause a fatal case of sepsis.
Your only alternative to root canal treatment is an extraction, which will leave you without a tooth. In that case, you will need to spend money and time on a tooth replacement so your teeth don’t shift, cause bone loss, and change your facial structure.
There's a common misconception that root canal therapy is a painful procedure. But the truth is, in the hands of an experienced dentist like Dr. Kory Kirkegaard at The Art of Dentistry, it's no more uncomfortable than getting a regular filling. In fact, the purpose of a root canal is to alleviate the severe pain caused by the inflammation or infection in the roots of a tooth.
The procedure usually involves administering a local anesthetic to numb the area around the tooth, ensuring you don't feel any pain during the treatment. Post-procedure, you might experience some tenderness or slight discomfort, which can be managed effectively with over-the-counter pain relievers.
With proper care and maintenance, a tooth treated with root canal therapy can last a lifetime. The longevity of a root canal depends on several factors including your overall oral health, the condition of the surrounding teeth, and the quality of the restoration work post-procedure.
After the root canal treatment, a crown or other restoration is usually placed on the tooth to protect and restore it to full function. As long as you maintain good oral hygiene practices, such as regular brushing, flossing, and dental check-ups, your root canal treatment can serve you well for many years.
The answer to this question largely depends on the condition of the tooth and the patient's overall oral health. Generally, dentists like Dr. Kory Kirkegaard at The Art of Dentistry in Overland Park will always try to save a natural tooth if possible. This is because maintaining your natural teeth helps preserve your jawbone and keeps other teeth from shifting out of line.
Root canal therapy is a highly successful procedure that can save a tooth that would otherwise need to be extracted. However, in some cases, if the tooth is too damaged or decayed, extraction might be the only viable option. It's crucial to consult with your dentist to understand the best course of treatment for your specific situation.
The cost of a root canal can vary widely based on factors such as the severity of the problem, the tooth involved, and the region where you live. While root canal therapy can be more expensive upfront than a simple extraction, it's important to consider the long-term costs.
Replacing an extracted tooth with a bridge or implant can end up being more costly than saving the tooth with a root canal treatment. Furthermore, a root canal treatment is a one-time cost, while replacements like bridges or implants may require periodic adjustments or replacements.
Over 90% of American adults have had a cavity at some point in their lives.
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