by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Sep 4, 2014 | Endodontics, General Information, Patients, Root Canal
When teeth in your mouth start to hurt and cause discomfort (and it happens to just about everyone), you may become faced with a decision to either 1) save your tooth with a root canal and a crown or 2) extract your tooth and do nothing else or 3) extract your tooth and have an implant placed. Let’s look in depth at all of these options.
1) Save Your Tooth – This is our mission at Phoenix Endodontic Group. We believe strongly that a person is much better off with their natural tooth in their mouth than placing a dental implant. Of course there are many factors to consider when making this decision and we feel the patient should always be a part of the decision making process before treatment is rendered. Phoenix Endodontic Group has invested in the latest endodontic technologies which help to make informed decisions about necessary dental treatment.
2) Extract Your Tooth – Sometimes a patient will want to just have the tooth extracted without any further restoration or treatment. This option works for some patients where there still are opposing teeth and chewing and biting will not be compromised by the extraction. Of the three options mentioned, this would of course be the least expensive because no further treatment would be needed and the source of the infection is immediately removed.
3) Have a Dental Implant Placed – Over the last 10 years, dental implants have exploded in popularity as a viable treatment option for patients who have experienced tooth pain and prior endodontic treatment. Phoenix Endodontic Group feels that dental implants have a place in the treatment spectrum, however we have seen many cases where given a little more time the tooth could have been saved with a root canal. We hate to see teeth extracted unnecessarily that could have been saved. Conversely when a tooth is hopelessly cracked or fractured it becomes time for a dental implant.
Here are some of the factors to consider with all three options: which tooth is it?, age of the patient, has the tooth had prior endodontic treatment, how much is the patient willing to invest to save the tooth. In most cases and root canal and final restoration are going to cost considerably less than the cost of a dental implant and restoration.
While no dentist can know for sure just how long a root canal or a dental implant will last (yes, dental implants do in fact fail over time), Phoenix Endodontic Group informs and listens to our patients to determine the right treatment choice for their specific situation. If you are in Phoenix, and need an endodontist “give us a call today” (602) 748-4190.
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Apr 28, 2014 | Blog, Endodontics, Endodontist, Featured, General Information
You probably already know that a twice-yearly dentist visit is a must for a healthy mouth. Why should you consider adding a Phoenix endodontist to your dental care program?
“The most common reason a patient needs to see an endodontist is that the patient is in pain or has an abscessed tooth. When a tooth becomes “necrotic” that means that the nerves and tissue inside the tooth are dying. Some people have pain, others do not. When the nerve has died and the patient does not feel it, the tooth may become more susceptible to fracture if left untreated,” says Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen, D.D.S., M.S. of Phoenix Endodontic Group.
An endodontist has advanced tools and equipment to diagnose and treat complex dental cases, plus specialized training. Fractured or chipped teeth, tooth decay, tooth pain, and trauma to the teeth are all examples of issues for which a Phoenix endodontist should be involved. “We treat many patients with complicated cases, and spend as much time and have as many visits as it takes to resolve a patient’s endodontic issue,” Dr. Allen adds.
Not all endodontists are the same, even if they provide the same menu of services. Dr. Allen states that “Phoenix Endodontic Group is a small family business. We strive to treat all patients the way we wish to be treated by our healthcare professionals. Attention to detail and prompt efficient service to patients has led us to develop many lasting relationships with our referring doctors.”
If you are trying to find the RIGHT endodontist, an important detail is the practice’s business approach. Those under insurance contracts may be limited in the services they provide and be encouraged to spend as little time as possible with each patient. “At Phoenix Endodontics, we take a limited amount of insurance contracts, because we feel that in endodontics patient treatment and care can be compromised if insurance companies are dictating what an endodontist can be reimbursed for a procedure,” remarks Dr. Allen.
“Personal attention and top quality care is what a patient will always get from Phoenix Endodontic Group,” Dr. Allen promises. Contact us today to schedule your appointment!
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Feb 19, 2014 | Blog, Endodontics, General Information, Root Canal
Patients will often call Phoenix Endodontic Group and ask what appears to be a very simple question -How much does a root canal cost? Like I said this seems like a simple question, however there a so many factors involved in providing an answer that most dental offices do not like to take these kinds of calls.
For one thing, most times you have no way of knowing who is asking the question. Today’s miserable economic conditions have many patients focusing only on the cost (of whatever service). If your price for the root canal is $1.00 higher than someone else, the patient will drive 30 extra miles just to save a dollar on the root canal. I may be exaggerating a little, however sometimes I have to shake my head at the logic I witness.
Before we give an answer as to what is the cost of a root canal, my staff is trained to get some additional information. Here is just a short list of what else we need to know before we quote a price over the phone: Are you in pain?, Has the tooth had a prior root canal?, if so how long ago?, Do you have dental insurance?, if so with whom? Does the tooth have a crown?, if so how long ago was it placed?, Which tooth needs a root canal?, Who is your general dentist?, and did they refer you to our office?
I will stop there, but you can tell that in order to provide an accurate treatment cost, the endodontic office needs to have some information on which to base our answer. It is similar to calling up Discount Tire and asking them how much it costs for tires on your car. They will need to know what type of car you have, how old it is, what type of tires it has currently, etc. Whether it is tires or a tooth, diagnosing over the phone is never a good idea.
The other challenge when providing a quote over the phone to a patient is to be sure there is an “apples to apples” comparison. In order be sure you are talking about the same services it is helpful to know the three elements go into the root canal cost. They are as follows:
1) Exam and x-rays (if a dentist provides treatment, they are legally required to diagnose from x-rays they have taken themselves)
2) Root Canal procedure (the cost varies depending on which tooth needs treatment, molars being the most expensive)
3) Post/Core buildup (this seals up the access hole and allows for further restoration, crown etc. A lot of general dentists insist on doing their own buildups)
To further complicate the price quote is that if the patient has insurance and the treatment is completed in one visit, the insurance company may have limits on billing for all of the required x-rays. Additionally each endodontic office may offer different discounts and incentives, i.e. senior citizen or active duty military discount, professional courtesy, etc. At Phoenix Endodontic Group, we have our own discount program that is utilized based up on the individual needs of our patients.
Having gotten the disclaimers out of the way, I can now attempt to answer the specific question posed, How much does a root canal cost? If we go by dental insurance companies, they use a fee schedule which is broken down by zip code and dental procedure code for a molar root canal. The data is broken down from lowest to highest. I will use data from 2012 in the 85013 zip code. Here we go:
D0140 (Exam) $68.00 – $105.00
D0220 (X-ray) $27.00 – $ 37.00
D3330 (Molar Endo) $953.00 – $1,305.00
D2950 (Core Build) $248.00 – $347.00
Much more to come on this and related topics in future blog posts!
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Mar 6, 2013 | Blog, Dentistry, Endodontics, General Information, Phoenix Endodontic Group, Root Canal
Please join the American Association of Endodontists in celebration of the seventh annual Root Canal Awareness Week
In celebration of upcoming Root Canal Awareness Week (March 17 – 23, 2013) Allen Endodontic Group would like to explain the important role endodontists play in dental health, and to teach the public that root canals should not be feared. What better way to do this than give some facts regarding endodontists and root canals.
Endodontists are dentists with special training in diagnosing and treating oral and facial pain, and problems associated with the inside of the tooth.
Endodontists must complete four years of dental school plus two or more years of advanced training in endodontics.
Patients may need endodontic treatment, including root canals, if they experience any of the following symptoms:
- prolonged dental sensitivity to heat or cold;
- tenderness of teeth to touch and chewing; or
- facial or oral swelling.
Root canal treatment is needed when the pulp (the soft tissue inside the tooth) becomes inflamed or infected as a result of injury, deep decay, repeated dental procedures on the tooth, or a cracked or chipped tooth.
Most patients who have had a root canal performed by an endodontist describe the procedure as virtually painless.
Eighty-five percent (85%) of patients who have had a root canal performed by an endodontist would return to an endodontist for future work.
Call the Allen Endodontic Group, located in Phoenix and Paradise Valley, AZ if you have any questions about the health of your teeth or if you think you need a root canal. 602-242-4745 or www.phoenixendodontist.com.
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Jul 12, 2012 | Blog, General Information, Phoenix Endodontic Group
Marketing Root Canals
As an “endodontic specialty practice,” Allen Endodontics, relys on our general dentist referrals to grow our practice. We strive to be the leading source of endodontic care and provide superior services and root canal treatments here in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Apr 21, 2012 | Blog, Dentistry, General Information, Phoenix Endodontic Group, Root Canal
Fear of the dentist is a common among the non-dental population, it is something that we confront and work with on a daily basis. Having come to expect that certain patients may be truly afraid of making an appointment to have a
root canal has made us better equipped to deal with these fears.
I have heard somewhere along the line that patients have 3 major fears about going to the dentist: time, money, and pain. Let’s look at each of these separately.
Time
