What to Expect
So, what should you expect on the day you come to see us? Well, a lot of friendly smiles, for one. But beyond that, one of our friendly dental assistants will then review your chart, chat with you about your problem, and take some x-rays of your teeth. Easy peasy, right?
Your endodontist, Dr. Bryan Eslinger, will look everything over and sit down with you to explain what is going on. Once you know the diagnosis and your options, we’ll decide whether to begin treatment right away or to schedule another visit. The entire process depends on several things, but usually takes about an hour and a half or so. Once we get going, we’ll give you local anesthesia to keep everything nice and numb while we’re working. We can even give you nitrous, if you’re feeling especially anxious. Either way, most procedures are just about painless.
Unless you opt for other sedation methods, you should be able to drive yourself home as soon as your procedure is over – in fact, you could even return to work if you really want to. Some folks have mild discomfort for a few days after the procedure, but over-the-counter pain medications are usually enough to take care of it. If you’re having a surgical treatment, you’ll still be able to drive but should plan on a few days of recovery time before getting back into your normal routine.
If you want the nitty-gritty on the procedures we’ll do, or the advanced technology we’ll use, you can read about all of that stuff here. But know that our job is to find the best option for you and to make sure you understand what we’re doing every step of the way. And The vast majority of the time, we’re able to complete your treatment in a single appointment so you don’t have to come back to see us any more than necessary (unless you really just miss us and want to say hello – hey, we’re pretty nice people).
THE CONSULTATION (AKA THE EASY PART)
Once your regular dentist has referred you to our wonderful office, we’ll go about figuring out what’s wrong with you and whether endodontic treatment is actually the answer. We’ll review your medical and dental history, perform diagnostic tests, take some x-rays, and figure out the best course of action to get you all fixed up.
Some of the things we might use during this part of your visit:
• Radiographs. That’s a fancy word for x-rays. We will take a 3D x-ray to get a clear picture of what’s causing the problem.
• Thermal testing. We’ll evaluate how your tooth responds to hot or cold.
• Palpation. We’ll see how your tooth responds to pressure near the tip of its root.
• Percussion. No, we won’t break out the bongos (unless you really want us to…) – we’ll just check out how your tooth responds to tapping.
Sometimes, the pain you’re feeling can actually be coming from a different area than you might think – a weird phenomenon known as “referred pain.” We’ll look for that too, to make sure we’re going after the correct source of your discomfort.
Pain that seems like it might need a root canal can also be related to a host of other issues – anything from a sinus infection to a blocked salivary gland. If we see that something like that is going on, we’ll refer you to the proper medical professional for the problem, since a root canal wouldn’t help.
ROOT CANAL THERAPY
Okay – let’s start with a quick lesson on teeth. Inside every tooth, beneath the shiny enamel and a hard layer called the dentin, is a soft tissue called the pulp. It’s made up of blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue.
You need a root canal when the pulp becomes inflamed or infected. That can happen because of deep decay or fillings, a crack or chip in the tooth, or some sort of trauma. If any of those things are left untreated, they can cause serious pain or swelling – even a not-so-fun-build-up of pus and debris.
That’s where we come in. During a root canal, Dr. Eslinger will use a series of super-small instruments along with special medicines to remove the infected pulp. He will then carefully clean and reshape the inside of the tooth’s roots. Last but not least, he will fill and seal up the spaces with a rubbery filling known as gutta percha.
Once all that’s finished, you’ll go back to your regular dentist, who will put a crown on the tooth to protect it and get it back in business for you. After that, the tooth should work and feel fine – just like any other pearly white in your beautiful mouth. (On occasion, we’ll have to retreat a root canal later on – if there are new fractures, for instance, or infections that come up in the tooth after your initial visit – but that’s more the exception than the rule.)
CROWNS AND BRIDGES
Before you receive your permanent crown or bridge you will first receive a temporary restoration. This is not as sturdy as the permanent version, so you should be careful when cleaning and eating. You should also avoid sticky or chewy foods while you have the temporary in.
There may be some sensitivity and irritation after the temporary or permanent is placed. This is normal and will subside after the soft tissue heals. A warm salt water rinse will help, and you can also take Advil or Tylenol if the pain does not go away.
When the permanent crown or bridge is placed it may feel a little awkward for a few days. Your mouth needs to adjust to the new tooth, and it should feel like one of your natural teeth in less than a week. If your bite feels abnormal in any way, you should let your dentist know. Caring for your bridge or crown is just like caring for your own teeth. You should brush and floss regularly.
ENDODONTIC SURGERY
Every now and then, a tooth can become infected months or even years after a successful treatment. In some cases, endodontic surgery may be able to save the tooth.
It sounds a little icky, but it works: What we do is open up the gum tissue near the tooth to get at the underlying bone and take away the infected tissue. We also take out the very end of the tooth’s root while we’re there, then put in a small filling and then a few stitches to help seal everything up and make sure it heals properly. In the months after that’s done, the bone heals around the end of the root – and in most cases, the tooth is then healthy and fine from there on out.
WE’LL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP YOUR COSTS LOW
No one wants to think about the costs of dental care, but we’re here to make the process of paying for your procedure as painless as possible. First, we accept all major dental insurances. The thing about dental insurance, it is a limited payout and is based on the terms and conditions of your plan, so it won’t cover 100% of everything. Usually, you’ll be responsible for making a co-pay – an estimate of what part of the procedure your insurance won’t cover – when you come in for your treatment. We also accept Care Credit, a financial service with 0% interest for 6 months. If you’d like to learn more about that service and see if it makes sense for you, check out the Care Credit website.