Root Canal Therapy

Root Canal Therapy
for Winston-Salem, Greensboro, NC & Beyond

What is a root canal?

A root canal is a common dental procedure used to save your natural teeth and prevent the need for dental implants or bridges. At the center of your tooth is a tissue composed of blood vessels and nerves known as pulp. Infection of the pulp can be caused by trauma to the tooth, deep decay, cracks and chips, or repeated dental procedures. Symptoms of the infection can be identified as sensitivity to temperature, pain in the tooth and gums, or swelling around the tooth.

How is a root canal performed?

If you experience any of these symptoms, your dentist will most likely recommend non-surgical treatment to eliminate the diseased pulp. This injured pulp is removed, and the root canal system is thoroughly cleaned and sealed. This root canal therapy usually involves local anesthesia and may be completed in one or more visits depending on the treatment required. Success for this type of treatment occurs in about 90% of cases. If your tooth is not amenable to endodontic treatment or the chance of success is unfavorable, you will be informed at the time of consultation or when a complication becomes evident during or after treatment. At Winston Smiles, we use local anesthesia to eliminate discomfort and can provide nitrous oxide analgesia if needed. Depending on the anticipated complexity of the root canal procedure, an endodontist (a dental specialist that only performs root canal therapy) may be recommended for your treatment. To schedule an initial consultation and discuss your root canal therapy options with our team of dentists, we welcome you to contact our office today! We’re proud to serve patients across the Winston-Salem, Clemmons, Pfafftown, Lewisville, Walkertown, Lexington, Wallburg, Kernersville, High Point, and Greensboro, NC areas.

For more information, please click on the presentation below for more details about how root canal therapy can be used to save your natural tooth.

Endodontic Presentation

To provide you with a better understanding of endodontic procedures, we have provided the following multimedia presentation. Many common questions pertaining to root canal therapy are discussed.

What happens after treatment?

If your root canal therapy has been completed outside of our office by a specialist, a record of your treatment will be sent to your restorative dentist (Dr. Pruitt, Miller, Stowe, Steinbicker or Taylor). You should contact our office for a follow-up restoration within a few weeks of the completion of your root canal treatment. Your dentist will then decide on what type of restoration is necessary to protect your tooth. It is rare for patients to experience complications after routine endodontic treatment. If a problem does occur, however, we are available to address it promptly. As always, it is important to continue good oral hygiene practices.

How much will it cost?

The cost associated with this procedure can vary depending on factors such as the severity of damage to the affected tooth and which tooth is affected. In general, endodontic treatment is much less expensive than the cost of tooth removal and subsequent replacement with an artificial tooth. If you think you may have a nerve-related issue to one or several of your teeth and would like more information on how endodontic therapy can restore your teeth to health, please don’t hesitate to contact us at Winston Smiles Phone Number (336) 765-1881.