Frequently Asked Questions

The American Association of Endodontists traces the reputation of root canals as painful back decades, to a time when the procedure was more primitive. With today's modern technology and improved anesthetics, most patients describe a pain-free experience and very little discomfort. Dr. Brammeier walks our patients through every procedure, which goes a long way toward easing anxiety, and for nervous patients we also offer sedation dentistry for added comfort.

Thanks to today's cutting edge technology, most root canal procedures wrap up in one or two office visits. Keep in mind that the length of the procedure and the number of appointments come down to many patient specific factors.

The only real cure for a root canal infection is to manually clear the infection from the canal of the tooth. Antibiotics have their place, easing symptoms like biting pain ahead of the root canal and sometimes helping prevent post treatment pain. They can't cure the infection itself, though, because its source sits inside the tooth where there is no blood supply. With no blood flow reaching it, there's simply no way to deliver the antibiotics to the source of infection.

No evidence shows that root canals cause illness of any kind. In fact, the evidence points the other way: people who have had root canals are no more likely to develop illness than people who have never had one.

A tooth can need root treatment even when it doesn't hurt at all. Dentists and endodontists are trained to test a tooth and tell whether the pulp has become infected or damaged. Once the pulp is infected or damaged, a root canal is what saves the tooth.

Insurance covers all or most of your treatment in many cases. Have your information handy when you call to book your appointment, and we'll be able to tell you more.

The cost of endodontic therapy depends on several factors, the severity of the damage to the tooth chief among them. As a rule, saving an infected tooth is far more cost effective than letting the infection spread or pulling the tooth and replacing it with an artificial one.

Most treatments use local anesthetic, whose effects won't impair your driving. Patients who opt for oral sedation, however, will need a driver to bring them to and from the appointment on the day of the procedure.

We may prescribe antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, or pain medications to keep you comfortable. Since every patient is different, any prescriptions are adjusted to suit your specific needs.

Holding onto your natural tooth as long as possible is essential for proper eating and chewing. Paired with the right restoration, endodontic treatment offers a cost-effective way to treat an ailing tooth, and it costs less than extracting and replacing it.

Keep in mind that endodontic treatment carries a very high success rate, and many root canal treated teeth last a lifetime! A bridge or a dental implant, by contrast, demands considerably more treatment time and can lead to further procedures on adjacent teeth and supporting tissues.

Millions of healthy, endodontically treated teeth are still serving patients around the world, even decades after treatment! Those patients chew efficiently and keep the natural look of their smiles. Endodontists and dentists everywhere team up to save their patients' natural teeth for a lifetime!

In some cases, though, the tooth simply can't be saved. When that happens, Dr. Brammeier is qualified to offer removal and replacement with a single-tooth implant.

Booking a follow-up appointment with Dr. Brammeier after your root canal is very important. Once the root canal is finished and the pulp removed, the tooth becomes prone to fracturing. A permanent restoration from your general dentist protects it from both fracture and contamination. That's why Dr. Brammeier advises returning to Dr. Brammeier within 3 weeks after your root canal.

We take x-rays only when they're needed to provide the best possible treatment. Our advanced x-ray system is digital, producing radiation levels up to 90 percent lower than the already low dose of traditional dental x-rays. When indicated, these digital x-rays can be printed, optimized, and emailed to Dr. Brammeier.

Once your root canal therapy is complete, we send a record of your treatment to your restorative dentist. Contact their office for an appointment within 3 weeks of finishing up here. Your restorative dentist decides which type of restoration, most often a dental crown, is needed to protect your tooth. Complications after routine endodontic treatment or microsurgery are rare, but if a problem does arise, our team is available at all times to respond.