- What is an Endondontist ?
- What is Root Canal Therapy?
- Is root canal therapy painful ?
- Is root canal therapy expensive ?
- What is your office payment policy ?
- What insurance plans do you accept ?
- My insurance does not cover Endodontic treatment,
do you have financing plans available ?
An Endodontist is a Root Canal Therapy Specialist. After four years of
dental school, he or she takes three years of intensive specialty training.
A root canal is a procedure that removes decayed
pulp from the central part of the tooth, reshapes the canal and replaces the
pulp with strengthening filler.
A cavity is the result of superficial decay of
the enamel of the tooth. Left long enough, this decay can burrow into the deeper
reaches of the tooth, causing extensive damage to tooth structure. When the
damage goes beyond what can be treated with a filling, a root canal is performed, preserving the tooth and retaining its original
integrity; thereby, saving a tooth that in the past would have to have been
pulled.
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A local anesthesia, such as Lidocaine, can make most teeth painless to
treat. The procedure begins with the
patient undergoing anesthesia. A
dental dam is then used to isolate the tooth and the tooth is opened to allow
for removal of infected or dead dental pulp. The tooth is comprehensively
cleaned, including any cracks and canals. With special tools, the doctor
reshapes the canals and the tooth is filled again with cutting edge
biocompatible filling material. A temporary covering is used to cover the access
opening. Patients must return to their regular dentist quickly for a permanent
restoration of the tooth.
Between treatments, "over the counter" strength
medications usually work well. Occasionally, a dentist may write a
prescription for a stronger pain reliever when necessary.
Considering the time, patience and skill needed to perform root canal
therapy, it is not expensive. The cost of root canal therapy is
substantially less than the cost of a bridge or implant needed to replace a
tooth lost because root canal therapy was not performed.
It is our office policy to to request that payment is made at the time of
your office visit.
When insurance is involved, we will request appropriate co-pays based on your
policy. However, the
levels of insurance benefits vary greatly with each plan and company. The fees
for procedures that are provided by an Endodontist will not
always be covered in full.
We currently accept cash, personal checks, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and
CareCredit.
We currently participate in a number of insurance plans. A partial list
can be found on our "Insurance"
page. Many plans change on a regular basis so please contact
our office to confirm our participation in your plan. For those plans that
we are not a participating provider, we will be happy to process your claim for
you, however your benefits may be limited based on your plan. In some
cases, your plan may not cover endodontic treatment.
Our Business Manager will be
happy to discuss individual financial arrangements with you. We
also offer extended payment plans through CareCredit.
Please visit their site for additional information and to apply.
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