Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few of the questions we hear all the time. If you want to know something that isn't here, just give us a call!
What should I expect at my first visit?
The first time you come into the office we spend some time getting to know each other. It is a great time for you to ask any questions you may have. From dental to financial, we want to make sure you know what's going on. At this time we will review your healthy history with you to be sure we are aware of any preexisting conditions or past dental problems. Finally, an x-ray will be taken of the tooth in questions. While you most likely already did this at your general dentist, our imaging is different; we use a very advanced scanner to take a three dimensional image of your tooth. After all of this, if Dr. Smith determines that you do, in fact, need a root canal we will schedule you for a treatment appointment.
What should I expect at the treatment appointment?
This is the appointment where the root canal procedure will be done on the tooth that is causing you problems. A root canal procedure is the process of removing inflamed or infected tissue from the tooth's pulp chamber. In more simple terms, a root canal is removing an unhealthy or dying nerve from your tooth. You will be completely numb for the entire process. You should expect to feel vibrations and pressure but should not expect to feel sharpness or pain. If you do feel anything uncomfortable its important to inform the dentist so more anesthetic can be given. Our goal is to treat your tooth while keeping you as comfortable as possible. A majority of root canals take one, one hour visit. In some rare cases, that are more complex than usual, it can take two or three, one hour visits. At your initial appointment we will inform you how long we expect the procedure to take. We always do our best to take all the surprises out of this process!
What is a retreat?
So your general dentist told you that your tooth needs a root canal, but you've already had one done on that tooth before. What's going on?
A root canal re-treatment is when a tooth that already had a root canal performed on it needs further treatment. Often time years go by before the tooth starts to cause discomfort again. While there are many reasons that this could occur there are two that we see most often. The first are small fractures that can develop on the roots of the teeth. These fractures can occur over time just from normal chewing. Once the root has a crack in it bacteria can enter and cause tooth pain. Another common cause is the first root canal missed some of the infected nerve. Roots of teeth are small and often curved, which makes removing the nerve challenging. While it is rare, sometimes the smallest bit of the nerve can be left behind. In most cases, this is fine and you and your tooth never know the difference. In other cases this can cause a return of tooth discomfort as the infected nerve tissue becomes inflamed again. At your appointment we will take images to determine if we will be able to eliminate the bacteria in the tooth. In some cases we may recomend you pursue other treatment options, which your general dentist will explain.
A root canal re-treatment is when a tooth that already had a root canal performed on it needs further treatment. Often time years go by before the tooth starts to cause discomfort again. While there are many reasons that this could occur there are two that we see most often. The first are small fractures that can develop on the roots of the teeth. These fractures can occur over time just from normal chewing. Once the root has a crack in it bacteria can enter and cause tooth pain. Another common cause is the first root canal missed some of the infected nerve. Roots of teeth are small and often curved, which makes removing the nerve challenging. While it is rare, sometimes the smallest bit of the nerve can be left behind. In most cases, this is fine and you and your tooth never know the difference. In other cases this can cause a return of tooth discomfort as the infected nerve tissue becomes inflamed again. At your appointment we will take images to determine if we will be able to eliminate the bacteria in the tooth. In some cases we may recomend you pursue other treatment options, which your general dentist will explain.
Is the GentleWave System covered by my insurance?
The GentleWave Procedure does not have a specific billing code, so we will need to check with your provider to see if they will allow billing under the standard root canal treatment code. Because the GentleWave Procedure isn’t your standard root canal treatment, it may not be billable through your provider.