Dr. Robert Thompson is a dentist and has answered some of the common questions bizymoms visitors have about Root Canal Treatment.
Q. What is Root Canal Treatment?
A. Root canal treatment is the procedure of removing the internal nerve and blood supply (or dead or abscessed material) from the internal canal(s) of a tooth.
Q. What does treatment involve?
A. The procedures include one or more appointments depending on the conditions presented by the patient. The internal canal is cleansed and eventually filled with an inert filling material rendering the tooth usually pain-free and is the procedure used to save a tooth
Q. What are the signs of needing endodontic treatment?
A. Some of the signs indicating the possible need for root canal treatment include: continual pain, abscess or swelling (sometimes seen only by x-ray), broken fillings or tooth structure that cannot be restored without a root canal if the desire is to save the tooth.
Q. Are pain pills and antibiotics an acceptable substitute for root canal?
A. Pain pills and antibiotics are not a substitute for root canal therapy. They can help alleviate the pain and the swelling until root canal treatment is begun.
Q. Are there alternative treatments for root canal?
A. Alternative treatments to root canal therapy include extracting the tooth. Doing nothing is also an alternative but does not solve the problem.
Q. How much will the procedure cost?
A. The cost of root canal therapy varies with the number of canals and with each office. In some cases our offices will refer this procedure to a specialist (endodontist). This is usually determined with an x-ray and a consultation.
Q. Will the tooth need any special care or additional treatment?
A. After root canal therapy is completed it is essential that the tooth be restored. That requires a "filling" to restore the top of the tooth to its proper form. Without a completed restoration the tooth with the root canal will most likely fail.
Q. How to contact Dr. Thompson if we have further questions?
A.
Address:
4074 NW Saltzman Rd.,
Ste 107
Portland, OR 97229
Phone: 503-629-8005
Email: 1blt@comcast.net
Website: www.tendercaredental.com
