How can we help you?
At Cook Family Dentistry, we feel that you deserve to be fully informed about every aspect of your treatment. That is why we always take the time necessary to answer all your questions. Whatever your question, we've got the answer!
Here are a few of the questions we hear most often, but we encourage you to contact us if yours is not shown below.
Root Canal Treatment
A root canal in Brentwood, TN, is your dentist's procedure to save an otherwise endangered tooth. This level of damage can have multiple causes; extensive decay or cavities, fractures, large chips, and wear that have impacted a tooth's internal structure. When this happens, bacteria that live in your mouth may infect your tooth.
While root canal therapy is often associated with pain, it's not an inherently painful procedure. Instead, the infection growing inside the tooth causes significant pain, and the root canal treatment will resolve that pain.
Root Canal Treatment Complete in Two Appointments
Your dentist at Sullivan Dental Partners will perform the majority of root canal therapy on the first visit. The procedure begins with numbing your tooth, then your dentist removes all the infection and shapes your remaining tooth to support the dental crown. Finally, to ensure no further infection can grow, your dentist will seal the tooth entirely.
After around two weeks of healing time, the second appointment will be when your dentist installs your permanent dental crown, tooth-like look and feel. With proper care and maintenance, a new dental crown can last a decade or longer.
Root Canal Therapy in Brentwood, TN
You can find relief from the pain caused by tooth damage and decay through root canal treatment. We encourage you to give Sullivan Dental Partners a call and save a tooth today.
A root canal or "endodontic" treatment basically restores your painful or infected tooth back to health. Basically, a tooth is hollow, kind of like a drinking straw. Inside this hollow space (the root canal) is where the nerves, blood vessels, and other "stuff" is located. Outside of the tooth, our mouths have bacteria that naturally live there. However, if these bacteria enter the root canal either through a cavity or a crack in the tooth, the nerve can die and the tooth will require a root canal treatment.
Root Canal Process
Root canals are not painful...some patients may remember a painful tooth that needed a root canal, but the actual procedure takes the pain away. Many patients actually take a nap during the root canal! During the procedure, the tooth is numbed, any cavity is cleaned up, and access is gained to the hollow "root canal" space of the tooth. Then we thoroughly clean that hollow space, dry it, and seal it.
After a root canal, many teeth will need a full-coverage crown as soon as possible for protection against cracking, as the tooth is now more brittle and fragile than before the root canal procedure.
Please give us a call if we can be of any help!
We know that dental treatments can cause anxiety for many patients, and our priority is getting you the important care you need. If you experience dental phobia, we can offer anxiety-reducing medications.
It is very common to be afraid of visiting the dentist. In fact, it’s a problem that affects millions of people. Sometimes the fear may be so overwhelming that you’re tempted to put off important treatments designed to protect your oral health.
Reduce Dental Anxiety
Of course, you already know that avoiding treatment only postpones the inevitable. But we need to find a way to help reduce your anxiety, and that’s why we offer anxiolysis options.
Sedation Options
When we use anxiolysis medications, you will not go to sleep. You will just feel very calm and a little drowsy. Many of our patients tell us that, after treatment, they don’t really remember what was going on around them. Because of the drowsy effects most patients will feel, we require these patients to have someone drive them home after the appointment. The effects wear off fairly quickly, but can vary from person to person from almost immediately after treatment to a few hours later.
Please don’t put off dental treatment because of your anxiety. We will be happy to explain more about the benefits of anxiolysis at your next visit. Please call our Birmingham dental office to schedule an appointment.
The most common root canal cost misconception among patients is that the procedure itself represents the total cost of treatment. In reality, one must also consider the cost of a dental crown to support the treated tooth long-term. This additional expense often catches patients off guard.
Where Confusion Begins
Many patients research root canal costs online. What often gets left out is that a root canal only treats the tooth’s infected or damaged interior pulp, not the tooth's long-term structural strength. As a result, they’re unpleasantly surprised to learn that the expected total of their final bill must also include the cost of a restoration.
Why a Crown Is Often Necessary
After a root canal, a tooth can become more brittle and prone to fracture. This is particularly true for molars, which bear significant chewing responsibilities. Thus, a porcelain crown is frequently recommended following treatment, both to protect the tooth from future damage and restore bite integrity.
Another Misconception: Assuming the Worst Financially
Conversely, patients also sometimes assume that the complex cases they've read about online are indicative of the cost of every root canal. In reality, a single-canal front tooth typically costs less to treat than a molar with three canals. So, on the bright side, assuming the highest price point isn't accurate either.
Dr. Aaron Cook and our knowledgeable team will provide you with a full cost breakdown before your treatment begins. We also make sure to include the cost of any recommended restoration, as well as your financial options, so you’re never caught off guard by unexpected costs.
Affordable, Transparent Root Canal Treatment in Birmingham, AL
If you need a root canal in Birmingham and want a clear picture of your actual out-of-pocket cost before starting treatment, contact Dr. Aaron Cook and the patient-focused Cook Family & Cosmetic Dentistry team to schedule a consultation.