How Do I Know if I Need a Root Canal? Common questions and answers about root canals.
There are a lot of tall tales about root canals, but the technology behind root canals has changed a lot in the past few years. Dr. Nicholas 
Booker of Booker Family Dentistry in Trenton, Mississippi is here to help you separate fact from fiction when it comes to root canals.
What is a root canal?
A root canal can be done in one appointment, but sometimes it takes two or more appointments. At the first appointment, Dr. Booker will remove the nerve and blood supply of an inflamed tooth, using special tiny files and points to shape the tooth canals. If the tooth is not inflamed, the tooth canals and pulp chamber are filled with an inert material called gutta percha. If there is a lot of inflammation and pain, the canals will be filled at a second appointment after the tooth has calmed down. The opening to the tooth is then filled with a permanent filling or prepared for a crown.
How do I know if I need a root canal?
Only dentists like Dr. Booker will really know if you need a root canal. He will do temperature and bite testing and take x-rays to determine whether you need a root canal; however, there are some symptoms to indicate you may need a root canal including extreme sensitivity to hot and cold or a deep throbbing pain in your tooth that doesn’t go away.
Do root canals hurt?
Dr. Booker’s goal is always to provide a comfortable appointment. That’s why he uses a new state-of-the-art method of anesthesia called the anesthesia wand. It delivers your anesthetic through a syringe-free wand connected to a computer. The computer delivers anesthetic to the injection site to make the injection area numb before a needle is used.
How much do root canals cost?
The cost of a root canal will vary depending on the number of canals a tooth has. Your front teeth will be the least expensive because they typically only have one canal. Your molars will be the most expensive because they typically have four canals or more.
Root canal therapy has become a state-of-the-art experience and when you see Dr. Booker, you are seeing the best. So, if you think you may need a root canal, don’t be afraid! Dr. Nicholas Booker of Booker Family Dentistry in Trenton, Mississippi is here to help you and your teeth, so call today!