Root canal treatments are highly effective in saving injured or infected natural teeth. They are typically not lengthy procedures, but most laypeople are not clear on what’s involved in a root canal or what to look for when selecting a practitioner. If your regular dentist has recommended an endodontist perform your root canal, you will want to be fully informed and feel confident about your treatment. Here are some questions to help you prepare.

What To Ask Your Endodontist Before A Root Canal Treatment

1. What kind of equipment is used for root canals? Endodontists typically perform the procedure far more frequently than a general dentist, so they also have specialized equipment that make the process easier and faster. This equipment can also help better resolve unexpected challenges that may present themselves during the treatment.

2. Do I need to take antibiotics before my root canal treatment? If you have certain types of systemic health issues, including a past history of infective endocarditis, your endodontist may prescribe antibiotic prophylaxis to ensure that you are protected should any oral bacteria enter the bloodstream. If you have an abscess, antibiotics may also be called for. Discuss your entire health history with your endodontist when your root canal is in the planning stages.

3. How many visits will my root canal take? Most root canal treatments are done in a single session, but occasionally you will need to return for a second appointment to finish the procedure. If that’s the case, your endodontist will place a temporary filling to protect your tooth until the treatment is finished.

4. How soon should I make my root canal appointment? Your regular dentist may have already communicated some of your symptoms to the endodontist, and this may give them a rough idea of how soon you need to be treated. However, some symptoms of a serious tooth injury are only apparent after a thorough clinical examination by a specialist; even if you think your symptoms aren’t bothersome, you should make an endodontic appointment as soon as one is available.

5. What should I do if I experience pain after my root canal? Your endodontist should provide you with a pain management plan for the first few days after your treatment, when some discomfort is normal. This may include information on using cold packs or pain-reducing medication. If you experience moderate or severe pain after the third day following your procedure, call your endodontist to see if they would like you to come back in for a recheck.

“Endodontists welcome questions from patients before, during, and after a root canal treatment,” says Dr. Susan L. Wood, who practices with the Phoenix Endodontic Group. “We want you to understand your case fully, and we will provide you all the information you need to be comfortable and confident about your procedure.”

A damaged or infected tooth needs to be assessed by a dental professional as soon as possible. Endodontists are dental professionals who specialize in saving natural teeth through root canal treatments and other procedures.  However, even with today’s technology, the most skilled of endodontists cannot save every tooth. There are times when the best course of action is simply to have a failing tooth removed.

Situations In Which A Root Canal Is Better

• The symptoms of a damaged tooth are recognized early. If you notice severe pain while chewing, a pimple on your gum, tender gums, lasting sensitivity to hot or cold foods, or certain other symptoms that indicate your tooth’s pulp is infected, schedule an appointment with your dentist or endodontist immediately. The sooner your tooth can be examined, the more likely it is your natural tooth can be saved.

• Your tooth’s structure is still strong. Root canals remove the nerve pulp inside your tooth’s roots and replace them with a biocompatible material. A crown is placed over the treated tooth to provide it with additional support. This treatment can be effective long-term 95 percent of the time, but if your tooth’s structure has been eroded by decay or injury, it is much less likely to be successful.

• Your tooth roots are relatively easy to clean. The success of a root canal hinges largely on how well your endodontist can remove infection from your tooth roots before sealing the canals. If you have long or unusually shaped root canals, this may be difficult.

When Extraction Is Better

Your dental professional may recommend a tooth extraction if any of the following are true:

• The tooth is badly decayed

• The tooth has suffered a severe fracture

• The tooth isn’t supported well by the surrounding gum tissue due to periodontal disease

• The tooth has received a root canal treatment or retreatment and is still failing

“Your endodontist can determine whether an extraction and tooth replacement or a root canal is the better option for your natural tooth,” says Dr. Susan L. Wood, who practices with the Phoenix Endodontic Group. “Both treatments are effective in restoring your mouth’s function and appearance.”

Root canal treatments can make it possible to save natural teeth in which the nerves and blood vessels comprising the dental pulp have been damaged by injury or infection. While more and more Americans are seeing root canals as the treatment of choice for saving teeth, many potential root canal patients still have questions about the procedure and how it actually works.

Most root canals will require at least two visits. The exact number of visits to complete the procedure and ensure its success depends on your situation and its complications. Here’s a brief overview of what may happen during each step of the process.

Why Root Canals Require Multiple Visits 

First Visit: Your endodontist will take X-rays to examine the state of the tooth. They will numb the area around the tooth with a local anesthetic. A dental dam will be placed to keep the tooth dry and free of salvia. Next, they will drill an access hole in the biting surface of the tooth to access the pulp. The remainder of the first visit typically focuses on cleaning the canals with special tools. These tools scrape pulp and infected materials away from the canal walls. Periodically during the procedure, the endodontist will flush the canals with a cleansing solution to remove debris.

Many endodontists wait up to a week to finish the root canal. If your tooth was infected, they may treat you with medication. Before you leave, they will place a temporary filling to keep out contaminants. Their office will also confirm your next appointment. 

Second Visit: During the second visit, the endodontist fills the canals being treated with a biocompatible material, usually gutta-percha. The access hole that was created is covered with a permanent filling. 

Later Visits: Sometimes, you will need to schedule additional appointments if the tooth requiring treatment has an active infection at the time of your first visit, or if you have a condition such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. Also, if your tooth sustained structural damage from the infection, decay, or injury that led to the need for a root canal, your endodontist may recommend scheduling a separate appointment with your regular dentist to place a crown on the tooth for additional protection.

“Root canals can take two or more steps to complete, but following through on all the steps increases the chances that your root canal will preserve your natural tooth for a lifetime,” says Dr. Susan L. Wood, who practices with the Phoenix Endodontic Group.  “If you have an injured tooth, call us today to see if a root canal can help.”

Millions of root canals are performed successfully each year. However, concern persists in some circles that instead of relieving a health problem – an infected or injured tooth – root canals cause illness. While there is no evidence to support this idea, rumors of the “dangers of root canal therapy” continue.

The American Association of Endodontists and other dental professionals are frequently asked by patients about the safety of root canals. Practitioners are happy to explain the root canal process and why root canals are the treatment of choice for preserving your natural teeth.

Root Canals And Health Problems: The Facts

• The primary research cited linking root canals to health problems is nearly a century old. Weston Price hypothesized in the early 1900s that bacteria trapped in a tooth treated by root canal caused diseases ranging from arthritis to heart disease. Needless to say, research methods and theories of disease causation were less advanced then; even studies conducted as early as the 1930s and 1940s indicated that there was no relationship between having a root canal and contracting a disease.
• Current research findings reinforce that root canals neither cause nor are correlated with other health challenges. In fact, a 2013 study in a publication by the American Medical Association noted that not only did root canals not cause cancer of any type, patients who had undergone multiple endodontic treatments had a 45 percent reduction in their cancer risk.
• Modern root canal treatment is safe and effective. With success rates of more than 90 percent, root canals have become reliable procedures for saving natural teeth. Digital imaging tools, advances in canal cleaning instruments, and the emergence of powerful disinfectants have all contributed to the ability of endodontists to save even seriously compromised natural teeth.

“There is a huge body of evidence demonstrating root canals are not associated with other health problems,” says Dr. Susan L. Wood, who practices with the Phoenix Endodontic Group. “Your peace of mind is a top concern to us, of course, and we are happy to discuss why root canals are the best option for most people to save their natural teeth.”