Root canal therapy can save your natural teeth that would otherwise be extracted. It is a simpler, less invasive, and much less costly procedure than a dental implant or a dental bridge.
Root Canal Treatment (also known as Endodontic Treatment) is needed when the tissues inside the tooth become unhealthy and infected. Often, you may need a root canal because there is a large cavity with bacteria contaminating the inside of the tooth, but other reasons include a crack in the tooth or an injury/trauma jolting the tooth enough to disrupt its blood supply.
Endodontic treatment is a comfortable procedure designed to relieve pain and save your tooth, as there is no real substitute for your own tooth (it is far more efficient at chewing and biting than an artificial tooth). Far from causing pain, root canal procedures relieve pain and prevent future discomforts as well.
If you are suffering from severe tooth pain or have a badly damaged or infected tooth, do not wait to receive treatment. Our experienced and knowledgeable dental team in Southport on the Gold Coast are able to provide our patients with a comfortable and professional experience.
Schedule your appointment today to get started on saving your tooth and preserving your smile. Call (07) 5588 3677 or click here to BOOK ONLINE and someone from our Gold Coast practice will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
Book your root canal dentist now!
Schedule your appointment today to get started on saving your tooth and preserving your smile.
or call us on (07) 5588-3677
What Is A Root Canal?
The root canal is the central part of the tooth that holds the dental pulp. The procedure to remove infected pulp is known as Root Canal Therapy and it is a safe, effective, and quick way to preserve the quality and appearance of your smile.
There are several layers to your teeth, with the dental pulp in a central canal that usually extends through each tooth root. The pulp consists of blood vessels, connective tissue, nerves, and other cells. It is the living part of your tooth, and it is responsible for tooth growth in your younger years as well as much of the sensation we feel in our teeth.
The inflammation of the pulp is called pulpitis, and it is usually caused by infection.
Common reasons for pulp infection include:
- Traumatic injury
- Deep caries (cavities) that extend into the pulp area
- Cracks or chips that cause the pulp to be exposed
- Side effects of other dental treatments
If a pulp infection is left untreated, it can spread through the rest of the tooth and beyond, causing tooth loss or other medical emergencies.
However, if the pulp is removed and the cavity cleaned and sealed, the tooth can often be saved, giving it extra years of use and preventing other health complications. Ultimately, this will lead to a pain-free tooth.
When Do I Need A Root Canal?
If the blood supply in the root canal space gets too inflamed, your body cannot replenish and heal that tissue, and that bacteria starts to brew an infection. Typically, the inflammation stage is where people have toothache. Symptoms that indicate a root canal may be necessary include:
- Heightened sensitivity to heat and cold
- Pain on chewing or biting
- Impulsive toothache, such as that experienced while reading a book, walking or other normal daily activities
- Discolouration (a darkening) of the tooth
- Persistent bad breath
- Constant or intermittent tooth pain
- Severe tooth pain
- Throbbing tooth pain
- Tooth pain that may occur in response to atmospheric pressure changes such as when flying or scuba diving
- Tissue swelling of the face
- Swelling and tenderness in the nearby gums
- A persistent or recurring pimple on the gums
Most of the time, these are the signs of a dental pulp disease, but that is not always the case and thorough examination is critical to make a correct diagnosis.
Do not wait for the pain to go away on its own. If you do feel a sudden decrease in pain, it might only mean the infection killed the tooth’s nerves. In these cases, you may lose your tooth.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you likely have an abscessed tooth and we recommend you call ArtSmiles Gold Coast right away. Left untreated, the infection can spread to the jaw and throughout the face, resulting in systemic infection.
Want a Discount On Root Canal and Easy access to high-quality dental care?
Join ArtSmiles Club and receive quality dental care at a price you can easily afford. Get access to routine preventive care and emergency exams at no extra cost and additional services at a reduced cost (Up to 30% off).
What Is Involved In A Root Canal Procedure?
how long does a root canal take?
Gathering Information For Successful Treatment
When you come to ArtSmiles, our friendly staff will answer any questions or concerns you might have. You’ll start by filling out a medical history and answering some questions about your dental history and symptoms on the offending tooth. This helps give us a full picture of what is going on. To provide the best treatment, we need to know:
- If a medical condition or nervous system problem might be exacerbating your toothache
- If any medications that you are on might be masking your symptoms
- If we might need to put you on antibiotics in addition to root canal
We will then take digital x-rays and take a look at the tooth, your gums, and your bite. We also perform several simple tests to measure the level of inflammation and infection in the problem tooth as well as the teeth nearby. Once we reach a diagnosis for your tooth, we will provide you with an accurate treatment plan and options. If endodontic treatment is needed, we are usually able to get started the same day for you.
Setting Up A Comfortable Treatment
We start by placing topical anesthesia on the gums around the root of your tooth. We then use local anesthesia to numb the tooth and surrounding tissues. From this point on, you should not feel any pain, just pressure and cold water while we are working.
After the tooth is numb, we will place a small protective sheet called a “dental dam” over the area to isolate the tooth and keep it clean and free of saliva during the procedure.
Establishing access and identifying the pulp space
We next make a small opening in the crown of the tooth. Extreme care must be taken to ensure a minimal amount of tooth structure is removed to establish access to the pulp. At ArtSmiles, we utilize the latest technology to make sure we can identify the pulp space and the root canals with precision.
Cleaning the pulp space
Very small specialized instruments are used to clean the pulp from the pulp chamber and root canals and to shape the space for filling. A disinfecting fluid is irrigated into the root canals to kill bacteria and rinse out debris.
Sealing the dental pulp space and restoring the tooth
The canals are then filled with a special biocompatible material and sealed, and the rest of the tooth is restored with a composite filling and a crown to protect it from further damage.
The dental fillings and crowns offered at ArtSmiles are shaped, coloured, and sized to fit perfectly into your smile, working to protect the weakened tooth without compromising aesthetics.
What You Can Expect Following Root Canal Treatment
The canals are then filled with a special biocompatible material and sealed, and the rest of the tooth is restored with a composite filling and a crown to protect it from further damage.
The dental fillings and crowns offered at ArtSmiles are shaped, coloured, and sized to fit perfectly into your smile, working to protect the weakened tooth without compromising aesthetics.
Root Canal Retreatment
Teeth with previous endodontic treatment can last as long as natural, untreated teeth. However, a tooth that has received treatment may not heal or may continue to have painful symptoms. Sometimes, pain or other signs of failure may occur months or even years after treatment. If so, Endodontic Retreatment may be necessary.
A tooth may not heal as expected after initial treatment for a variety of reasons:
- Narrow or curved canals were not treated during the initial procedure.
- Complicated canal anatomy went undetected in the first procedure.
- Inadequate cleaning of the canals
- The placement of the crown or other restoration was delayed following the endodontic treatment.
- The restoration did not prevent salivary contamination to the inside of the tooth.
In other cases, a new problem can jeopardize a tooth that was successfully treated. For example:
- New decay can expose the root canal filling material to bacteria, causing a new infection in the tooth.
- A loose, cracked or broken crown or filling can expose the tooth to new infection.
- A tooth sustains a fracture.
During retreatment, we will re-open your tooth and remove the existing filling materials that were placed in the root canals during the first procedure. We will carefully examine the tooth looking for additional canals or signs of a new infection. We then remove the sources of infection, clean and shape the canals, and place a new filling material in the root. The opening is then sealed with a temporary filling. Once the root canal retreatment is completed, a crown or other restoration is placed on the tooth to protect it.
Root Canal Versus Extraction
Having your natural teeth is the very best option, if possible. Your natural teeth allow you to eat a wide variety of foods necessary to maintain proper nutrition. If the tooth has enough sound structure to be restored, the root canal procedure is the treatment of choice, as no artificial tooth will feel like your own tooth.
The only alternative to a root canal procedure is having the tooth extracted and replaced with a bridge, implant, or removable partial denture to restore chewing function and prevent adjacent teeth from shifting. These alternatives not only are more expensive than a root canal procedure, but require more treatment time and additional procedures to adjacent teeth and supporting tissues.
However, not all cases of pulp infection can be effectively treated with a root canal. For example, if a crack on the tooth has propagated beyond the pulp chamber floor, the tooth is deemed unrestorable and will need to be extracted.
Root Canal Cost
The cost of a Root Canal can vary depending on the scale of treatment required and which tooth is affected. Molars are more difficult to treat; the fee is usually more. As each and every patient has unique needs, a final quote can only be obtained after a full consultation and assessment of your needs. In the meantime, you can find some ballpark prices below, as well as the advantagens of joining the ArtSmiles Club Membership Program:
| Procedure | ArtSmiles Club Discounted Fee | ArtSmiles Private Fee |
| Root Canal Treatment – Front tooth (one canal) | $899.10 | $1,088.00 |
| Root Canal Treatment – Back tooth (4 canals) | $2,500.00 | $2,500.00 |
What is the cost of a Root Canal
First Visit: Complimentary consultation
Dr Dunker will assess your general and oral health prior to discussing implant placement. The consultation is complimentary. If you have a good general and oral health, Dr Dunker will ask for an 3D x-ray of the jaw.
A 3D x-ray is necessary for implant placement. For your comfort, ArtSmiles has this equipment available. You can bring this x-ray if you already have it. If you decide to take the x-ray with us, and if you are not a member of ArtSmiles Club yet, there is a cost of $180,00 for the x-ray and you can take it with you.
After taking the x-ray, Dr Dunker will plan the case in front of you and explain everything related to your treatment plan. Usually this consultation takes between 30 and 45 minutes.
Codes first visit:
code 013 – consultation – no cost
code 026 – 3D x-ray – $180,00 (private) / no cost (ArtSmiles Club)
Second Visit: Planning
Once you accept the treatment, Dr Dunker will scan your mouth. This 3D scan will be merged with your x-ray to create a surgical guide. Most of our surgeries are guided, in order to improve safety, predictability, and provide less trauma to the patient.
Dr Dunker will also discuss the surgical process and risks with you. This consult takes 30 minutes.
Codes planning visit:
Code 679 – surgical guide – $ 348.30
Third visit: Surgery day
The implant surgery is usually executed in 45-60 minutes. At ArtSmiles, we are proud of our excellence in infection control, and for surgery that means that everything we use during the surgery must be sterile and the technique aseptic.
As we use surgical guides, the implant is positioned as predicted in the planning, which reduces the risk of damaging important structures of your jaw.
The implants used by Dr Cristian are Dentsply Sirona implants, which are considered as one of the gold standard implants by the academic dental world. Due to it’s quality, Dentsply Sirona offers lifetime warranty for their implants. This cover is related to the product, but not the surgical procedure. To check the service warranty offered by ArtSmiles, please click here.
Depending on the complexity of the case, Dr Dunker may use additional procedures to build bone or gingiva around the implant. These procedures increase the time and cost of the surgery. These procedures are evaluated and discussed with you in the planning consult. In cases of narrow bone, it may be required to execute a bone graft before the implant placement.
Aesthetic cases will require a provisional crown.
Codes Surgery day:
Code 688 – Implant Surgery – $ 1,802.00
Code 022 – intraoral X-ray – free for Club members
Fourth Visit: Scanning for crown placement
After 2 months of the surgery, you must come for a 45 minutes consult to evaluate the osseointegration and do the scanning of your mouth to receive the crown on implant.
This is the first of two visits for crown placement, and we’ll kindly ask for 50% prepayment of the code 672 – Porcelain crown on implant, and 661 – Abutment.
Code scannning
672 – Crown on implant – $1,830.35 (50% prepayment )
661 – Abutment – $ 355.65 (50% prepayment)
Last visit: Crown Fit
Depending on the complexity, we may deliver the crown in the next day of the scanning, or up to 2 weeks, when an outsourced lab service is required.
In cosmetic cases, we normally recommend using a lab service for shade match. There is an additional cost if a lab is used for aesthetically demanding cases.
Codes:
672 – Crown on implant $1,830.35 (50% remaining)
661 – Abutment – $ 355.65 (50% remaining)
022 – no cost for club members
Lab fee – only for complex front tooth.
Want a Discount On Root Canal and Easy access to high-quality dental care?
Join ArtSmiles Club and receive quality dental care at a price you can easily afford. Get access to routine preventive care and emergency exams at no extra cost and additional services at a reduced cost (Up to 30% off).
Frequently Asked Questions About Single Tooth Implant
What is the purpose of a root canal?
A tooth’s nerve is not vitally important to a tooth’s health and function after the tooth has emerged through the gums. Its only function is sensory – to provide the sensation of hot or cold. The presence or absence of a nerve will not affect the day-to-day functioning of the tooth.
When a tooth is cracked or has a deep cavity, bacteria can enter the pulp tissue and germs can cause an infection inside the tooth. If left untreated, an abscess may form. If the infected tissue is not removed, pain and swelling can result. This can not only injure your jawbones, but it is detrimental to your overall health. Without the proper treatment, your tooth may have to be removed.
What causes the need for a root canal?
- Large carries and deep recurrent decay (that can be developed under an existing restoration) close to the nerve
- Nerve damage due to physical trauma (i.e. fall from a bike)
- Nerve damage due to sinus infection
- Large filling or other restoration
What are the signs that a root canal is needed?
- Heightened sensitivity to heat and cold
- Pain when chewing or biting
- Gum tissue swelling
- Throbbing toothache
- Persistent bad breath
Does the root canal hurt?
Getting a root canal is painless and extremely effective. You’ll be back to smiling, biting and chewing with ease in no time.
How long does root canal take?
Root canal can take anywhere from 45 to 120 minutes, depending on the case. Patients are often surprised by how quickly the procedure is over.
What should I do after the procedure?
After the root canal procedure, it is vital to take care of your tooth. It’s also essential to take a follow-up X-ray after the process as well. The X-ray ensures that there are no additional signs of an infection. You have to get regular dental exams and cleanings as well. Your dentist and team will let you know when you need a dental cleaning or routine dental exams.
Also, maintain a good routine at home. Brush your teeth twice a day. Flossing as well is essential. Make sure your toothpaste has fluoride and can fight germs as well. If your root canal treatment is perfect, your tooth is now safe.
There are chances that your teeth might feel sensitive after the treatment. Our dentist can give you post-treatment instructions and prescribe medicines. Most patients report that any minor side effects like this go away on their own after a few days.
Do not chew hard after the procedure right away and wait for some time. It will be wise not to do any heavy exercise for some time after the procedure. Especially if there is a temporary filling and permanent filling is due.
Can I go to school or work after getting a root canal?
What are the alternatives to a Root Canal?
The only alternative to a root canal procedure is having the tooth extracted and replaced with a bridge, implant, or removable partial denture to restore chewing function and prevent adjacent teeth from shifting. These alternatives not only are more expensive than a root canal procedure, but require more treatment time and additional procedures to adjacent teeth and supporting tissues.
What is the cost of a Root Canal on the Gold Coast?
Generally, endodontic treatment and restoration of the natural tooth are less expensive than the alternative of having the tooth extracted. An extracted tooth must be replaced with an implant or bridge to restore chewing function and prevent adjacent teeth from shifting. These procedures tend to cost more than endodontic treatment and appropriate restoration.
We understand, however, that seeking treatment during a dental emergency can be a stressful experience. That is why we work with health insurance companies and financial institutions to minimise your out-of-pocket expenses and provide more flexible payment options. We also accept a wide range of other payment methods and have plenty of flexible pay-later financial options including Afterpay, TLC, Humm and Access My Super.
About Dr Tiago Braga
Dr. Tiago Braga is a trusted Gold Coast Dentist and a Lecturer in General Dental Practice and Endodontics Clinical Supervisor at Griffith University.
Since February 2018 he has been the Coordinator of the Master of Clinical Dentistry in Endodontics at Griffith University.
Over the last decade, Dr Tiago Braga has been dedicated to teaching and developing research in the areas of Endodontics and Endodontic Microsurgery.
Dr. Braga is also a member of the American Association of Endodontics.
Book your root canal dentist now!
Schedule your appointment today to get started on saving your tooth and preserving your smile.
or call us on (07) 5588-3677