Frequently Asked Questions

Will I be in pain?

Our primary goal is to always make your visit as comfortable and painless as possible. During the procedure, we will administer profound anesthesia. Recovery after the procedure is related to how much discomfort the tooth was causing prior to the procedure. We will review how to manage recovery and make it as smooth as possible more thoroughly at your appointment, but we recommend managing discomfort before and just after the procedure with an NSAID either alone or in combination with acetaminophen.

Alí A, Olivieri JG, Duran-Sindreu F, Abella F, Roig M, García-Font M. Influence of preoperative pain intensity on postoperative pain after root canal treatment: A prospective clinical study. J Dent. 2016 Feb;45:39-42. doi: 10.1016/j.jdent.2015.12.002. Epub 2015 Dec 8. PMID: 26678517.

Zanjir M, Sgro A, Lighvan NL, Yarascavitch C, Shah PS, da Costa BR, Azarpazhooh A. Efficacy and Safety of Postoperative Medications in Reducing Pain after Nonsurgical Endodontic Treatment: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. J Endod. 2020 Oct;46(10):1387-1402.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.joen.2020.07.002. Epub 2020 Jul 12. PMID: 32668310.

Am I going to be put to sleep?

Typically, local anesthesia is adequate to keep you comfortable, however, we will offer nitrous oxide sedation, and oral sedation, if needed, to help with anxiety going into the visit. These are forms of sedation in which you will still be awake and able to communicate with us for anything you may need during the procedure.

If you choose to use oral sedation, we do have some pre-procedure recommendations to make sure your pre- and post-treatment experience is smooth.

What do I need to do after my treatment?

We will review in depth instructions on managing recovery time. However, the most important factor for success, is to return to your dentist for a crown and/or permanent filling to make sure your tooth is sealed and protected.

Gillen BM, Looney SW, Gu LS, Loushine BA, Weller RN, Loushine RJ, Pashley DH, Tay FR. Impact of the quality of coronal restoration versus the quality of root canal fillings on success of root canal treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Endod. 2011 Jul;37(7):895-902. doi: 10.1016/j.joen.2011.04.002. Epub 2011 May 24. PMID: 21689541; PMCID: PMC3815527.

Why do I need to see a specialist?

Though root canals can be done by your general dentist, there are many instances where it is helpful to see a specialist. There are additional types of instruments and imaging that we have available for diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, with additional training focused solely on root canals, we have learned several techniques and have gained a lot of experience that we can utilize to treat your tooth with the utmost attention.

How long is it going to take?

We typically can complete your treatment in one visit. There are times when we choose to split up your treatment into two visits if there is an active infection or swelling, in which it is better to place a medication on the inside of your tooth to help you heal.

Why do we need to take x-rays?

Radiographs are essential to accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. We will request current radiographs from your dentist, however, if we need more information, we may still take an image as needed. During the procedure, we also utilize radiographs to verify that the treatment is done adequately. These measures are to ensure that we provide you the best treatment possible. We will always follow our basic principles and ensure that we keep the amount of radiation as low as reasonably achievable. We do want to assure you that the amount of radiation will be of low dose. The parts of the body most susceptible to absorbing radiation are the salivary glands and thyroid. However, the dosage absorbed is less than 0.8 uGy. In comparison, this is equivalent to the amount of radiation exposure on a roundtrip from London to New York.

Qiang W, Qiang F, Lin L. ESTIMATION OF EFFECTIVE DOSE OF DENTAL X-RAY DEVICES. Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2019 Jun 1;183(4):417-421. doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncy159. PMID: 30169836.

Crane GD, Abbott PV. Radiation shielding in dentistry: an update. Aust Dent J. 2016 Sep;61(3):277-81. doi: 10.1111/adj.12389. PMID: 26644147.

Squillaro T, Galano G, De Rosa R, Peluso G, Galderisi U. Concise Review: The Effect of Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation on Stem Cell Biology: A Contribution to Radiation Risk. Stem Cells. 2018 Aug;36(8):1146-1153. doi: 10.1002/stem.2836. Epub 2018 May 17. PMID: 29664142.