Can You Really Undergo a Root Canal And Get A Crown in the Same Day?

History tells us that the very first root canal procedures were performed in around 1838. The technology and techniques involved in root canals continued — thankfully — to develop in the decades after 1838. By 1961, what is now referred to as the “standardized technique” was developed.  Root canal therapy in South Miami has continued to develop since the 1960s, though, and is now a painless technique for eliminating the pain and other serious consequences of infection inside teeth while eliminating the need for preventable tooth extractions. 

Here’s an introduction to what is not the usual method of undergoing root canal therapy in Kendall, a process that takes at least two appointments with a dentist near you. After that introduction to the most typical process, we’ll introduce a wrinkle — one-day root canals! Dentists understand that scheduling, arranging, preparing for and recovering from multiple appointments can be difficult and stressful. Today, the right patient treated by the right dentist in the right circumstances can undergo root canal treatment near you and receive a crown in a single appointment. 

What is the typical root canal procedure?

First, your dentist in South Miami will freeze the area to be treated with a local anesthetic to ensure you experience no pain. Local anesthetic is usually applied in two steps: a numbing cream applied to the surface of your gums; and then an injection. If you’re concerned about remaining calm or still during the procedure, ask your dentist in Kendall about sedation dentistry options.

Second,  your dentist will place a rubber dam that acts as a barrier around the tooth to be treated. That barrier will keep the operating area clean and dry and prevent material released from the tooth during treatment from spreading elsewhere in your mouth. 

Third, your dentist will make a small opening into the top of your tooth. Your dentist will use that opening to access the interior of your tooth to remove all extracted material and to clean the interior of the emptied tooth with a bleach solution to disinfect the root canals. Once the material has been removed, and the interior of the tooth is cleaned, your dentist will seal the tooth using a substance called gutta-percha. This process of cleaning out your tooth sometimes requires more than one visit, depending on the number, size and locations of the canals inside your tooth that need to be cleaned. If a second appointment is necessary, your dentist will apply some medication to the tooth to kill bacteria and strengthen the roots of your tooth. 

Fourth, your dentist will place a temporary filling over the tooth. Once you’ve healed from the procedure, your dentist will fit you with a permanent dental crown to completely cover and protect your tooth from re-infection. 

Can root canals and crowns really be provided in a single day?

The general rationale for waiting a period of time between completing your root canal and placing a temporary filling and later providing a dental crown is to allow you to recover from the procedure and to manage and respond to any flare-ups before finally sealing and “crowning” the tooth. 

Today, though, dentists have the option — thanks to advanced materials and techniques that allow sealing, hardening and bonding almost immediately — to completely sterilize root canals and effectively and permanently seal those canals in the same step with a minimal risk of subsequent flare-ups. Placing the final seal and crown on that newly infection-free tooth at the same appointment has the advantage of giving that tooth the best possible protection before bacteria has any opportunity to reintroduce itself into that tooth.

Which approach is best for you depends on your specific circumstances, including your general and dental health, budget, timeline and tolerance for treatment. Ask your dentist to recommend which root canal treatment option for eliminating infection and preventing unnecessary extractions is right for you.