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We encourage you to contact us with any questions, concerns or comments you may have.


Office location:
Vienna
307 Maple Avenue West
Suite H
Vienna, VA 22180
Phone: (703) 938-5920
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Vienna Root Canal - Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions patients have about their endodontic health.  If you have any other questions, or would like to schedule an appointment, we would love to hear from you.

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A: A "root canal" is a small channel inside every tooth; it contains nerves, blood vessels and other types of tissue.
A: With the advent of new procedures to provide profound, local anesthesia, rarely will a patient feel any pain during treatment. When the local anesthesia dissipates 2-3 hours later, there may be some very mild soreness for 2-3 days.
A: Today dentists no longer use Novocaine for local anesthesia; we use something much safer and much more effective---lidocaine, articaine or mepivacaine. Following root canal therapy, a patient may have mild, transient soreness for 1-2 days. Commonly, over-the-counter Advil or Tylenol is sufficient to relieve any mild soreness. Rarely is any stronger pain medication necessary.  More often than not, NO pain medication will be necessary.
A: Most commonly, the general dentist will need to place a final restoration over the tooth following the completion of root canal treatment. In certain cases, our office can place the final restoration, in consultation with your general dentist.
A: If the tooth is properly restored in a timely way, and with good home care and periodic checkups by your general dentist, there is a >95% chance the tooth will be retained for many years, perhaps a lifetime.
A: Generally speaking, approximately 45 minutes to one hour.
A: Generally speaking, Advil or Tylenol is all that is needed for 1-2 days following root canal treatment. Seldom is any stronger pain medication necessary.
A: Fees for root canal therapy are determined by the complexity of the case. Generally speaking, teeth closer to the front of the mouth (less complicated) have the comparatively lowest fees. Other factors that affect fee determination include: the need for root canal surgery; root canal retreatment;  instruments previously lodged inside the root canal; incomplete root development; etc.
A: Pain is only one indication that root canal treatment may be necessary. A healthy patient may harbor an infection inside a tooth, but due to a robust ability to fight infection, the patient may be unaware of what is happening inside the tooth. Your general dentist can often identify these teeth and refer you to an endodontist to have these infected teeth treated by root canal therapy before they cause swelling and pain.