Root canal treatment in South Edmonton

Direct billingCDCP registeredWho you see: Dr. Osborne

A root canal clears infection out of the inside of a tooth so the tooth can be kept. The nerve is removed, the space is cleaned and sealed, and a crown usually goes on afterwards. It is done under freezing, and it is the treatment that stops the pain rather than causing it.

What it isCleaning infection out of the inside of a tooth How longOne or two visits, plus a crown What it costsGone over with you before any work Who you seeDr. Osborne

What happens

The treatment, step by step

One or two appointments, and a crown afterwards on a back tooth.

FreezingThe tooth and the area around it are fully numbed before anything starts.

OpeningA small opening is made through the biting surface to reach the space inside the tooth.

CleaningThe infected tissue is removed and the narrow canals inside the root are cleaned out.

One visit or twoSome teeth are finished in a single appointment. A badly infected one is dressed with medication and sealed at a second visit a week or two later. We tell you which on the day.

SealingThe space is filled with a rubber-like material so bacteria cannot get back in.

CrownA back tooth is crowned afterwards. Without it the tooth is brittle and likely to split.

In pain, or been told you need one?Request Appointment Call 780-434-8749

The part people worry about

Does it hurt?

This is the question every patient asks, so here is the straight answer rather than a reassuring phrase.

You are frozen throughoutThe same freezing used for a filling, and we wait until it has fully taken hold. If you feel anything sharp, we stop and top it up.

It treats the pain, it does not cause itThe ache people dread is the infected nerve. Removing it is what makes the ache stop, usually the same day.

It is longer, not worseThe main difference from a filling is that it takes longer in the chair. You can break it over two visits if sitting still is the hard part.

Tell us if you are anxiousSay so when you book and again when you sit down. We work at your pace and you can raise a hand to stop at any point.

When it is needed

Signs the nerve is infected

An infected nerve does not settle on its own. These are the signs worth getting looked at rather than waiting out.

Pain that wakes you at nightThrobbing that is worse lying down is fairly typical, because more blood reaches the head.

Lingering sensitivity to hot or coldNormal sensitivity passes in seconds. A nerve in trouble keeps aching for minutes after the cup is put down.

A bump on the gum near the toothThat is an abscess draining. It often takes the pain away, which is why people think it has healed. It has not.

A tooth that has darkenedA single tooth going grey usually means the nerve inside has died, sometimes years after a knock.

Pain on biting or pressureTenderness when you touch the teeth together points at the tissue around the root rather than the surface.

Or nothing at allPlenty of infected nerves are found on a routine x-ray with no symptoms. That is the best time to treat one.

Deciding

Treat it, or take it out?

Removing the tooth is quicker and usually cheaper on the day. What it costs comes later, in replacing it.

There is enough sound tooth left to rebuild

Then

Root canal and crownKeeping your own root is worth a great deal. Nothing replaces a tooth as well as the tooth does.

The tooth is broken below the gum or badly cracked

Then

ExtractionThere is nothing to build on, and a root canal on an unrestorable tooth is money spent twice.

The infection has come back after a previous root canal

Then

It dependsRetreatment is sometimes possible. Where it is not, removal and an implant is often the more honest plan.

A gap is never free. Replacing a tooth with a bridge or an implant usually costs more than saving it would have, so the comparison is not treatment against nothing.

Afterwards

What to expect

Most people go back to work the same day. A few things are worth knowing.

Tenderness for a few daysThe tooth can feel bruised to bite on while the tissue around the root settles. Ordinary pain relief handles it.

Go easy until it is crownedBetween the root canal and the crown the tooth is fragile. Chew on the other side.

It should feel normal againOnce crowned, a root-treated tooth works like any other. You will not feel cold on it, because the nerve has gone.

Ring us if the ache returnsPain that comes back weeks later is worth checking rather than waiting out. Caught early there are usually options.

Who you will see

Who does this at Heritage

Dr. David Osborne

General and family dentistry

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Opens at 8am, Monday to Saturday

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780-434-8749

2118 109 St NW, Edmonton, AB T6J 7C1
In Heritage Square, right next to the IDA Pharmacy

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FAQ

What does a root canal cost?

We go over the quote with you before any work is done. We bill your insurer directly wherever your plan allows it. We make every attempt to work with your insurer so your plan covers as much as it can, and what a plan finally pays is the insurer's decision. The practice is a registered provider for the Canadian Dental Care Plan. There is more on fees and insurance.

Does a root canal hurt?

The tooth is frozen, so the procedure itself feels much like having a filling. Most of the pain people associate with root canals is the infection beforehand, which is what the treatment removes.

How do I know I need one?

Common signs are lingering pain after something hot or cold, pain on biting, a tooth that has darkened, or a small bump on the gum near the root. Some infected teeth cause no symptoms and are found on an X-ray.

Why does the tooth need a crown afterwards?

A treated tooth has lost internal structure and becomes more brittle, particularly a back tooth taking chewing force. A crown holds it together and prevents the kind of fracture that would mean losing it.

Is extraction not simpler?

It is faster, but removing a tooth starts a chain: the gap needs an implant, a bridge or a denture, and the bone changes shape. Keeping your own tooth is almost always the better long-term outcome where it can be saved.

The treatment, step by step

Does it hurt?

Signs the nerve is infected

Treat it, or take it out?

What to expect

Who does this at Heritage

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