1. Root Canal therapy is about 95 percent successful. Many factors influence the treatment outcome: your general health, bone support around the tooth, possible fracture lines, shape and condition of the root and nerve canals, etc.
2. Teeth treated with root canals must be protected during treatment. Between appointments, if the interim filling comes out, call the office and arrange to have it replaced as soon as practical.
3. The tooth may normally be sensitive following appointments and may even remain tender for a time after treatment is completed. If sensitivity persists, and does not seem to be getting better, please let us know
4. Fractured roots are one of the main reasons why root canals may fail despite a technically adequate treatment. Unfortunately, some cracks that extend through the crown down into the root are invisible and hard to detect before treatment. They can occur on uncrowned teeth from trauma, biting on hard objects, habitual clenching or grinding, or even wear and tear. Whether the fracture occurs, before or after the root canal, the tooth may need to be removed for an additional fee.
5. Since teeth with root canals are more brittle, we will recommend a post/core and a crown to prevent further damage. The fee for the post/core is separate and NOT included in the root canal fee. The fee for the crown is also a separate fee and NOT included in the root canal fee.
6. Teeth treated with root canals can still decay without proper maintenance. As with other teeth, the proper care of these teeth consists of good home care, a sensible diet, and periodic exams and cleanings.
7. With some teeth, conventional root canal therapy alone may not be sufficient. For example, if the canals are severely bent or closed up, if there is a substantial or long standing infection in the bone around the roots, or if a metal file becomes separated within a canal, the tooth may remain sensitive and a surgical procedure may be necessary to resolve the problem. This may be referred to a specialist or treated by our office for a separate fee.
8. There are alternatives to root canal therapy. They include no treatment at all, extraction with nothing to fill the space, and extraction followed by a bridge, partial denture, or implant to fill the missing tooth space
9. Since it will interfere with treatment, I agree to turn off my cell phone until the procedure is complete.
10. Despite precautions, items may be swallowed when a patient is numb.
The nature of root canal therapy has been explained to me and I have had a chance to have my questions answered. I understand that dentistry is not an exact science and success with root canals cannot be guaranteed. Considering the above information, I authorize the doctor to proceed with treatment.