Saving your natural tooth
In a root canal procedure, the pulp of the tooth (the living tissue inside) is removed and the resulting space is filled with special, medicated dental materials that restore the tooth to full function. Using root canal therapy not only preserves your natural tooth, extending its lifetime, it also protects and preserves the jaw bone and other supporting tissues around the tooth. Wherever possible, saving your natural tooth will also save you from more pain and expense down the road.
- Sensitivity to hot and cold.
- Severe toothache pain.
- Red or swollen gums near the tooth.
- Discoloration of the tooth.
- An abscess (or pimple) on the gums.
There are a number of signs that suggest root canal therapy may be necessary:
The root canal treatment plan
A root canal treatment usually requires one or two office visits and is performed by either a dentist or an endodontist. Here is how we perform your root canal:
Diagnosis and Treatment Plan
The first step requires an x-ray of the tooth and the surrounding bone to find out what’s causing your symptoms. Your specialist may prescribe antibiotics to help control infection and inflammation. The pressure from infected swelling is what makes an abscess so painful and is often the cause of pain during a root canal. Reducing this inflammation in advance removes this factor during the procedure.
Prepping the Tooth
When we’re ready to perform the root canal, we will patiently numb the area before freezing your gums, teeth and tissues. Your comfort and peace-of-mind are important to us. Once you’re comfortable, an access hole is drilled into the tooth. The pulp, bacteria, decayed nerve tissue, and related debris are removed.
Sealing the Tooth
Depending on the severity of the abscess, we may put some medicine inside the tooth to completely clear up any infection. If the procedure requires multiple visits, a temporary filling will be applied. At this point, you will already feel some relief. Only when your tooth is thoroughly cleaned and healthy can it be permanently sealed.
Cost of a root canal in Crystal River
The cost of dental treatment varies widely, but saving the tooth with a root canal is more cost-efficient in the long run. With a typical insurance plan, root canal therapy has an average out-of-pocket cost of around $200 to $500+. After an oral exam, we would be happy to provide you with an accurate quote for your insurance company so you can find out your actual out-of-pocket costs. Without insurance, you can expect to pay anywhere from $600 to $1200+ for treatment.
- The severity of the infection.
- The location of the infection in your mouth.
- The health of the surrounding teeth and gums.
- Complications which may require more time or a delicate and experienced touch.
Why is there such a wide ballpark estimate of the cost? When we generate a quote for root canal therapy we consider factors like:
No dental practice can provide an accurate quote over the phone. Every case is different so it's important to speak with a dentist who can evaluate your unique situation and provide you with all your treatment options for your consideration.
Is there an alternative treatment to root canals?
An abscess or infection in your tooth is extremely dangerous and considered an urgent health matter. Many people think of root canals as some sort of ‘lesser evil’ to end excruciating dental pain. More important than that, root canals remove an infection that can spread and become life-threatening, requiring much more urgent and invasive care. This is why we work tirelessly to fight the reputation that root canal therapy has gained and why your comfort and peace-of-mind is so important to us.
If you think you may have an infection but you really don’t want a root canal, we strongly encourage you to reach out to us anyways. We will not perform any procedure without your full understanding and consent and may have alternative options for you with the ultimate goal of resolving your infection.
Contact us today
to schedule an initial consultation & exam.
Your consultation will include an examination of everything from your teeth, gums and soft tissues to the shape and condition of your bite. Generally, we want to see how your whole mouth looks and functions. Before we plan your treatment we want to know everything about the health and aesthetic of your smile, and, most importantly, what you want to achieve so we can help you get there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn of the many ways we've enhanced the smiles and dental experiences of clients across Citrus county for decades!
Chris Fitz
The professional treatment you receive by Dr. Masterson and his staff is unreal. Having come from a bigger city of Clearwater, FL, we had options upon options to find good care. One of the things we expected was to struggle to find a great dentist in a much smaller town. Well, it happened when we met Dr. Masterson and God willing, we will never leave this dentist until he retires. It's that simple.
Alexandra P
I am very thankful to have amazing professionals taking care of my oral health. My dental hygienist Kim is awesome. She has great dexterity and is always checking that I am feeling comfortable (not feeling pain) in any procedure that she is doing. She has an amazing friendly personality and cares for her patients!. Thank you so much!
Jerrica C
I called this office looking to see if by chance they would be able to see my boyfriend to fix his cracked tooth. They were very helpful over the phone and assured us they could squeeze us in that day. As we arrived (we were a bit late) yet the staff were so sweet, despite the office was now past closing! We were taken back right away and the assistant was great and helpful. The dentist was amazing and made my boyfriend feel very comfortable since we weren't in our hometown. Esthetically the dentist did an amazing job with his front tooth!
