Friday, October 19, 2012

Dentist Buckhead: How Much Does a Root Canal Cost?

The cost of having a root canal done depends upon where you live, the type of dentist and whether or not you have dental insurance.  The procedure is usually done by a specialist known as an endodontist, but can be performed in a general dentist’s office.  The procedure can range anywhere from $900 to 1500.00 depending on the tooth location and the number of root canals involved.  The diagnosis will require an initial x-ray, which can be performed by your general dentist and forwarded to the endodontist’s office.  Sometimes there are issues that arise where the endodontist wants to charge for an initial consultation.  This may or may not be necessary depending on the relationship the endodontist has with your referring general practitioner.  If you have insurance it will usually cover about half to eighty percent of the cost.  One of the added costs to a root canal that should be taken into account is either an amalgam (or composite) or crown restoration of the tooth by your general dentist upon completion of the procedure.
The root canal involves opening the tooth and removing the pulp of the tooth, which contains the tooth nerve that’s causing you so much pain.  What necessitates the procedure is the root of the tooth being infected and no known treatment to preserve the nerve from further deterioration.  The two most common causes of infection of the pulp are deep cavities and fractures or broken teeth. As treatment, the pulp tissue is removed, the root is cleaned with files and filled with an inorganic material that keeps bacteria out of the root and tooth.   Generally, a root/nerve involved tooth only gets worse over time without treatment.  And the longer you wait, the greater possibility you might suffer the loss of the entire tooth.
Prices don’t always reflect the quality of your treatment.  Having a sense of trust in your general dentist will usually result in the referral to our in-house endodontist that’s also worth trusting. Also, one of the more noteworthy developments in root canal therapy has been the use of a topical product that by healing the tooth structure has with success eliminated the need for a root canal.   So with proper diagnosis (and a little luck) a root canal is not always necessitated.  If we can be of service or you have further questions please don’t hesitate to contact us by phone or by email.  We are a stone’s throw from Buckhead, East Cobb, Dunwoody and Roswell.
Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC
290 Carpenter Drive, 200A            
Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328
404-256-3620
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