What does a root canal entail exactly in terms procedure, after effects and cost?
Question:
DRAGON 2008
"I BELIEVE IN U.S."
Answers:
To put it as simply as possible, a root canal can be thought
of as a filling that goes all the way down the roots of the tooth.
They will get you numb, drill like for a normal filling, then they
put files (they look like tiny drill bits) down into the root to draw out the damaged pulp and nerve tissue. Remember,
you'll be numb, so it won't hurt. Then they fill the root and
pulp chamber with a substance called gutta percha, it is sort
of rubbery. sometimes they put a temporary filling on top.
Then you need a crown over it because the tooth will be
more brittle and likely to break without the nerve and blood
supply, and the crown prevents that.
After effects--could have some pain if it was abscessed,
they will probably prescribe pain pills and antibiotics.
Cost--depends on where you live, if you go to a specialist
or not, and if it's a molar tooth or not (due to number of roots.)
More roots=more cost. I would say between 200-400 dollars.
I payed $900 total after insurance covered what it could. Most of the payment was towards the crown.
I basically got numbed up, and he started putting these pins in my mouth to desensitize the nerves. It was quite the process..
do a search on Google or Yahoo Root Canal procedure and they will tell you all about what to expect.
It is a long process..if you have a sensitive jaw, you are going to take two sessions and then the third a few weeks later for the crown
I had a root canal when I was in tenth grade. So I don't remember the cost. But I hear it can be expensive. If you don't have dental insurance, sometimes the dentist will put you on a payment plan. They drill out the decay in the tooth then they drill or something into the root of the tooth. After that they fill the root with something. Then they will put a temporary cap on the tooth. Then you have to go back and have a permanent cap put on!
First, you will be numbed. My dentist gave me 2 shots of Novocaine a few minutes apart and waited until I was good and numb. Then the clamp thing goes on the tooth. Then the dental shield, which is like a latex sheet that covers your mouth while it's open and the tooth they are working on pokes through. Then the drilling starts and you smell the decay (yuck!) It takes maybe a half hour to an hour to drill; the whole process takes an hour to an hour and a half. Oh, and they stick the root finder device in your mouth, which hangs over your lip. It also depends on many roots that particular tooth has. Some have 2, some 3. It's very unpleasant. But as long as you have a good caring dentist, you should be fine. At the end they put in the temporary tooth, until you can get a crown. I think my root canal cost $850.
I didn't have major pain afterwards; you are advised to take Tylenol but if you need something stronger, they will give you an Rx.
Good luck!
It's a very expensive, and horrible experience. You will be numbed with needles down to the nerve, posts inplanted in your gum, the root dissolved with something that makes smoke come out of your mouth. After you get over that, you get the permanent crown put on.
The "pins" that the other person talks about are files. they are used to remove the tissues of the canal of the tooth. once they are removed and the tooth is hollowed a compound is placed in the tooth and a filling placed over that with a crown on top. There will be pain after but your dentist should prescribe you something if not IB prophin 800mg every 4-6 hrs as needed (Rx dosage don't take more than that)
A root canal procedure usually entails two to three visits. First, the dentist removes all of the decayed dentin and the pulp chamber is then drilled and as much of the pulp is removed. After removing as much of the internal pulp as possible, the root canals can be temporarily filled with calcium hydroxide paste. This strong alkaline base is left in for a week or more to disinfect and reduce inflammation in surrounding tissue.
At the next visit, the dentist will remove the temporary filling and clean the pulp chamber as well as widen any root canals, if necessary. The canals are then refilled, after being thoroughly irrigated to make sure that there is nothing left behind.
After receiving a root canal, the tooth should be protected with a crown that covers the cusps of the tooth. Otherwise, over the years the tooth will almost certainly fracture, since root canals remove tooth structure from the tooth and undermine the tooth's structural integrity. This may be done immediately after the root canal is filled, or at the discretion of your dentist and/or finances.
In the United States, it would typically cost US$400-1,000—though exceeded by the even more expensive related crown procedure, typically around US$500-1,500 with usually only 50% being covered by the dental insurer (DMO or DPO).
you've got a lot of good answers, I wanted to add that an abscessed tooth is an infected tooth. when my sister had this, she was given a dose of antibiotics that she had to finish before the procedure to kill the infection as much as possible and make it easier and safer to work on.
And of course you know me, always good for a website...
http://www.medicinenet.com/abscessed_too...
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