Root Canal Treatment
Let's Get To The Guts Of It!
Are you anxious about dental treatment? At Central Brisbane Dental, we are conscious of the fact that some patients are a little less than relaxed about a visit to the dentist. We go to great lengths to ensure that every visit you have with us is as pleasant as possible. From the moment you enter our practice, our staff are concerned about your comfort and wellbeing. Our dentists will take the time to explain everything to you.
All the necessary precautions are taken to ensure your treatment is performed to the highest standard of care with your comfort always in mind. We have projectors in the surgeries so you can relax and watch your favourite DVDs while your treatment is performed. Some people however may still feel a little anxious about their treatment and so we are pleased to be able to offer options to help you relax.
Root Canal Treatment Procedure and Cost
30 Minute Appointment – Find Canals and Dress to Rid Toothache and Drain Abscess
Item 419 Emergency Dressing of Canals
Description: Emergency dressing of canals.
Cost: $300-$500 per appointment depending on number of canals and complexity.
Item 392 Drainage of Abscess
Description: Drainage of abscess.
Cost: Included in above price.
1 Hour Appointment 1 Week After Step 1 – Complete Cleaning Out of Canals
Item 415 Cleaning Out 1 Canal
Item 416 Cleaning Out An Additional Canal (2nd Canal)
Item 416 Cleaning Out An Additional Canal (3rd Canal)
Item 416 Cleaning Out An Additional Canal (4th Canal)
Item 022 X-ray To Confirm Length of Canals to Clean Out
Description: Complete cleaning out of canals.
Cost: $300-$500 per appointment depending on number of canals and complexity.
45 Minute Appointment 1 Week After Step 2 – Filling Up of Canals
Item 417 Filling Up 1 Canal
Item 418 Filling Up An Additional Canal (2nd Canal)
Item 418 Filling Up An Additional Canal (3rd Canal)
Item 418 Filling Up An Additional Canal (4th Canal)
Item 022 X-ray To Check on Filled Canals
Description: Filling up of canals.
Cost: $300-$500 per appointment depending on number of canals and complexity.
Getting to The Root of the Problem!
Some people benefit from taking oral sedatives such as valium the night before their appointment and again on the morning of their appointment. This medication has a relaxing effect and makes people feel much happier and less apprehensive about their treatment.
Another simple form of relaxation is to use a Penthrox puffer (Methoxyfluorane). This drug is the modern version of happy gas and has been included in ambulance first aid kits for many years. It is commonly seen being used by sport stars who have been injured while being helped from the sporting field. Penthrox allows you to relax before and during your appointment and also provides a strong pain-relieving effect, making it perfect for use before some local anaesthetic injections.
This Sounds Like It Will Hurt
We don’t want you to be stressed out, anxious or in any pain. We have a range of options available to us to ensure you are comfortable and relaxed as possible. Here are some of the things we have to make you feel at ease:
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Warm, friendly, helpful staff
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Dentists who will take the time to make sure you are fine
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Pop culture displays to make the practice less dentist-like
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Projectors in each room playing your favourite DVD
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Oral sedation such as valium
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Gas sedation with Penthrox puffer
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Pain relief medications and local anaesthetics
Frequently asked questions
The cost of a root canal treatment depends on the number of canals or nerve passageways inside the tooth that needs to be cleaned out and filled up. If the tooth only has one canal, typically incisor and canine teeth, then root canal treatment will usually cost $900. If the tooth has two canals, typically premolar teeth, then root canal treatment will usually cost $1200. If the tooth has three or four canals, typically molar teeth, then root canal treatment will usually cost $1500.
Most teeth require a crown after completion of root canal treatment. This is because the reason the tooth needed the root canal treatment in the first place was due to the tooth being very damaged. In order to clean out the canals properly, the tooth has to be hollowed out as well. A crown protects the tooth from breaking down any further and prevents reinfection of the canals.
Usually doing the first stage of root canal treatment gets the tooth out of pain and settles any gum swelling next to the tooth in most cases straight away or within two days of treatment. Damaged jaw bone around the roots of the tooth usually takes several months to heal following completion of the remaining stages of root canal treatment.
Root canal treatment usually takes two to three appointments. The first appointment is to find the canals of the tooth and place medication inside to relieve a toothache and/or gum swelling. The second appointment is needed to fully clean out the canals of the tooth. Sometimes the first and second appointments can be combined into one appointment. The last appointment is needed to fill up the canals of the tooth at least one week after the cleaning out appointment.
If you have a severe toothache and the tooth in question is sore to pressure and there is a gum swelling next to the tooth, it is likely you have a tooth abscess and need root canal treatment for it. If your tooth is very sore to cold and hot temperatures but not sore to pressure and there is no gum swelling, there is a chance you may be able to treat it with a filling if the nerve damage is reversible.
Capping Off the Treatment!
After root canal treatment, the tooth usually requires a crown. A tooth that requires root canal treatment is usually badly broken down or has had a lot of dental work with little good tooth structure remaining. Although root canal treatment saves a tooth, removal of the root canal system leaves a tooth more brittle and prone to injury. A crown protects the remaining tooth structure and helps prevent reinfection of the root canal system.
A tooth in which the root canal system is not alive or no longer present may discolour and become darker over time. If a crown is required for the tooth, the crown will hide any discolouration. If the tooth does not require a crown, the discolouration may be reversed through tooth whitening. The alternative option to root canal treatment is the removal of the tooth. In most cases if tooth extraction is selected, replacement of the lost tooth with an implant, bridge or denture needs to be considered after extraction to prevent undesirable effects on the remaining healthy teeth.
Does One Of Your Teeth Need To Be Extracted?
Many patients fear the dentist. Most often it is because of a fear of pain or feeling something. When discussing dental treatment we are often asked, “Is this procedure pain-free?” or “Will I feel any pain or discomfort from this?”. Patients want to see a pain-free dentist so to speak. They want to have a pain-free dental appointment. Fortunately, most procedures at our Brisbane CBD dental clinic can be done in a gentle manner. Teeth cleaning is done with ultrasonic scalers with rounded tips which use vibrations to remove plaque and calculus, not old-fashioned scraping of the tooth surfaces with sharp instruments. Small to medium-sized fillings can be done with extra tiny rounded burs which the patient cannot feel due to their small size. Of course, local anaesthetic can be provided if required. Some patients for more complex procedures ask, “Can you knock me out for this?”. At our Brisbane CBD dental clinic, we provide sedation dentistry. What to expect when it comes to sedation dentistry at our Brisbane CBD dental clinic? We can provide oral sedation in the form of a script for a tablet you can take such as Valium. This can allow patients to sleep better the night before the procedure and feel more at ease during the procedure. We also provide inhalation sedation in the form of a Penthrox inhaler. This can be thought of as the modern form of happy gas. Patients breathe through the Penthrox inhaler to achieve a dream-like state which also helps relieve pain. As you control the amount of gas you breathe in and you simply breathe out any excess, there are no major side effects. The cost of sedation dentistry with Penthrox is usually $160 per appointment. Oral sedation dentistry and inhalation sedation dentistry are categorised as conscious sedation dentistry. Conscious sedation dentistry means you are awake, but sedated and don’t really care about what is happening. This is more than enough for most patients. If you a looking for sleep dentistry such as twilight sedation or IV sedation or dentistry under full general anaesthetic, we can refer you to the appropriate dental specialist.
