Dentistry is the known evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the soft and hard tissues of the jaw (mandible), the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent.
An Interview with Dr. Michael Jensen on Root Canal
Dr. Michael Jensen is a dentist and has answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about Root Canal.
Q. What is root canal treatment?
A. Simply put, a Root Canal is the removal of the interior nerve and vessel tissue and the sealing up of the inside of the tooth.
Q. What does treatment involve?
A. Treatment for a Root Canal is accomplished in one or more visits and starts with proper diagnosis of the health of the tooth. When sure that the tooth does need a root canal it is numbed as completely as possible and any decay is removed making sure the tooth is able to be saved. Then the nerve is cleaned out to the end of the tooth with small instruments called files and sterilized with medications. At this point we may place some medication inside the tooth to allow the medication to further clean and sterilize the tooth for a short period of time. When we are ready to proceed the inside of the tooth is sealed with one of two materials and a permanent filling is placed to prevent any leakage of saliva into the inside of the tooth.
Q. What are the signs of needing endodontic treatment?
A. There are many signs that a tooth may need a root canal including increasing pain to Hot or Cold. That means 15 to 30 seconds or more of a dull ache. Short stings from cold ice water which go away quickly are generally more root sensitivity than a tooth needing a root canal. Also swelling in the bone above a tooth or a small pimple-looking area are also signs to be concerned about.
Q. Are pain pills and antibiotics an acceptable substitute for root canal?
A. Pain medication and antibiotics are a way to manage the pain and infection of a tooth in the process of dying or abscessing. When you have an infection caused by an abscess our anesthetists are not always able to get a patient totally numb, which is where root canals get a bad reputation. Antibiotics can temporarily reduce the infection but it will come back if you don’t take care of the source such as the dying tooth.
Q. Are there alternative treatments for root canal?
A. If a tooth truly needs a root canal the only permanent alternative to a root canal is removing the infected tooth. A short term 3-6 month alternative to completing is to remove the nerve of the tooth, place some medication inside and a good temporary filling. This is only delaying the need for a root canal because the tooth will abscess again usually within 3-4 moths.
Q. How much will the procedure cost?
A. The cost of a root canal depends on several factors. They include the location of the tooth - the front 6 teeth are less than the bicuspids, which are less than the molars. The further back the teeth are the more challenging and time consuming they are to successfully complete therefore more expensive. Also a general dentist MAY be less expensive than an Endodontist since the Endodontist has extra training for the more difficult teeth they are generally more expensive. The cost can be anywhere from $550 to $1300 or even more. That does not include a permanent filling or a crown which is additional.
Q. Will the tooth need any special care or additional treatment?
A. A root canalled tooth will need a final permanent filling to replace the decayed tooth structure. What that restoration should be depends on the tooth. If it has a small hole where the root canal was done. It may need a smaller filling but normally the best long term restoration is a crown to replace missing tooth structure and to help prevent the tooth from breaking.
Q. How to contact Dr. Jensen if we have further questions?
A.
Address:
406 SE 131st Ave
Suite 202
Vancouver, WA
Phone: (360) 253-9542
Email: mjensendmd@qwestoffice.net
Website:http://www.millplaindental.com/
