Persistent throbbing or sensitivity to hot and cold that lingers often means the nerve inside the tooth is infected or inflamed. Smile Center Dentistry uses digital X-rays and, when needed, an apex locator to treat the canal precisely.
A root canal performed with the right tools and enough time has a high success rate — rushed cases are where problems happen. We'd rather take an extra ten minutes with the apex locator than leave canal length to a guess.
An apex locator helps measure canal length precisely during treatment, reducing guesswork. You'll see your own X-ray and understand the reasoning before we proceed.
Modern anesthesia techniques keep the procedure comfortable — most patients report less discomfort than expected. If you're still feeling anything, we pause and address it before continuing.
Severe pain gets triaged quickly — we don't make patients wait weeks for a diagnosed infection. We know how miserable this pain can be, which is why we don't make you wait unnecessarily.
Post-treatment protection is part of the plan from day one, so the tooth stays saved long-term. We schedule the crown appointment before you even leave your root canal visit.
Here's what's typically involved once imaging confirms treatment is needed.
We rule out a simple filling before recommending the more involved root canal procedure. This step alone often explains pain patients couldn't previously identify.
Infected pulp tissue is removed and the canal is cleaned and shaped to prepare it for filling. This is the core of the procedure and where precision matters most.
A properly sealed canal is what keeps bacteria from returning to the treated tooth. We confirm the seal with a follow-up X-ray before moving to restoration.
For teeth with significant structure loss, a post-and-core buildup provides a foundation for the final crown. This step is planned before crown placement, not decided last minute.
A crown protects a root-canal-treated tooth from fracture, since it's more brittle without its nerve supply. Material options are discussed based on which tooth and how much force it takes when chewing.
If a previously treated tooth becomes reinfected, we assess whether retreatment or extraction is the better path. We explain honestly whether your specific tooth is still a good save candidate.
We triage by phone to determine how quickly you need to be seen.
Digital X-rays and sensitivity testing confirm whether the nerve is involved and treatment is needed.
The canal is cleaned, shaped, and filled under local anesthesia, typically in one to two visits.
We schedule the follow-up before you leave, so nothing falls through the cracks.
"Put off calling for weeks because I dreaded a root canal. It was genuinely nothing like what I feared."
"Got in the same week I called with severe pain. Anesthesia worked well and I felt nothing during the procedure."
"They checked my numbness twice before starting. Appreciated that they didn't rush it."
"Pain was gone within a day of treatment. Wish I hadn't waited so long to call."
"Pulp testing before treatment confirmed exactly what was going on. No guessing involved."
Lingering pain to hot or cold, especially if it wakes you at night, often points to nerve involvement that a filling can't fix. A filling addresses surface decay; a root canal addresses infection reaching the nerve — imaging tells us which applies.
We check numbness thoroughly before starting, so pain during the procedure is rare. Most patients tell us it was easier than they braced themselves for.
We tell you which applies to your case after imaging, not as a generic estimate. Multi-canal back teeth sometimes take longer than single-canal front teeth.
Front teeth sometimes don't need a crown; back teeth that handle more chewing force usually do. We plan crown placement into your treatment timeline from day one.
Delaying rarely makes the problem go away — it typically makes treatment more complicated later. We'd rather treat it now while the tooth is still savable.
We break out the root canal and crown costs separately so you understand the full picture. We verify insurance benefits before treatment so you know your out-of-pocket cost.
Our team serves Port Aransas and the surrounding zip codes with digital imaging on-site at every location. Whether it's your first root canal or a retreatment case, our Port Aransas team handles both in-house.
We'll confirm what's actually happening before recommending treatment.
Call +1-866-227-2801