Save Your Natural Tooth with Root Canal Therapy
A tooth that stops hurting hasn’t healed. People often ask, “Can I wait six months to get a root canal?” after a toothache fades on its own. When the pulp inside a tooth is infected, the pain can go quiet because the nerve has died, while the infection keeps spreading.
Root canal therapy lets our Farmington dentists clear the infection and keep your natural tooth. It’s part of the general dentistry care we provide every day. Call (505) 327-4863 to schedule your root canal consultation, or call for an emergency appointment if you’re suffering from swelling or severe tooth pain.
Signs a Tooth May Need a Root Canal
The following signs often point to an infected or damaged pulp:
- Sensitivity to hot or cold that lingers after the drink is gone
- Throbbing pain, or pain when you bite down
- A tooth that has turned gray or darker than the teeth next to it
- Swollen gums or a pimple-like bump near the tooth
- A tooth that feels loose
- A deep cavity, crack, or chip that was never repaired
Why Choose Desert Hills for Root Canal Care
Fast Help When a Tooth Hurts
Tooth pain and swelling shouldn’t wait. If you call us in the morning, we’ll tell you on the phone how soon we can see you, and we often see dental emergencies the same day. Our office is open Monday through Friday, 7 am to 5 pm, so many patients can come in before work or school. If you have facial swelling with a fever, or trouble breathing or swallowing, go to the nearest emergency room first.
Experienced Farmington Dentists
Our team includes four dentists with deep roots in the community. Dr. Charles Schumacher has served Farmington since 1986 and is a past president of the New Mexico Dental Association. He’s joined by Dr. Gene Hilton, Dr. Clarissa Burgess, and Dr. Jacob Collins, who grew up in the Four Corners. Together, they’re part of a 40-plus-year Farmington tradition of dental care, and they’ll take the time to explain your diagnosis and answer your questions before treatment starts.
Technology That Helps Us See More and Do More in Fewer Visits
Low-dose digital X-rays let us take a closer look at the infected tooth and the bone around it while limiting your radiation exposure. After a root canal, most back teeth need a crown to protect them from cracking. With our in-office CEREC system and intraoral scanner, many patients can get a custom porcelain crown in a single visit, with no messy impression trays and no weeks of waiting in a temporary crown.
Your Root Canal and Crown in One Office
Some practices send patients to a specialist for the root canal and then back again for the crown. Here, our dentists can examine the tooth, perform the root canal, and restore it with a crown in the same Farmington office. That means fewer phone calls, fewer appointments, and one team that knows your history.
The Price Before We Start
No one likes a surprise bill. Before treatment begins, our team works with your insurance company and walks you through what your plan is expected to cover and what you’ll likely pay. You’ll have a clear picture of the cost before you decide.
Insurance, Medicaid, and Payment Plans
We work with most dental insurance plans, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Aetna, MetLife, Presbyterian, VA, and Medicare, and we see patients with New Mexico Medicaid. If you’d like to spread out the cost of your care, we offer payment plans through CareCredit, Cherry, and Sunbit. See our dental insurance and financing page for details.
Comfortable Care for Nervous Patients
Root canals have a bad reputation, but the procedure is done with local anesthetic and is designed to relieve your pain, not cause it. Most patients feel only mild tenderness for a few days afterward. If dental visits make you anxious, let us know when you call. We offer comfort and sedation options, and we’ll never rush you or make you feel judged for how long it’s been since your last visit.
Trusted by Patients Across the Four Corners
Patients drive in from Aztec, Bloomfield, Kirtland, Shiprock, and across San Juan County to see us. Most drives from nearby towns take about 20 to 25 minutes, and we’re easy to find at the corner of E 30th St and Hutton. Our patients have left more than 2,000 five-star Google reviews, often mentioning our friendly staff, on-time appointments, and thorough care.
Root Canal and Crown in Only One Office
A root canal is only half of the treatment. Once the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed, a back tooth usually needs a crown to keep it from cracking. Patients are often sent to a specialist for the root canal, then back to their own dentist for the crown. A temporary filling covers the tooth in between. Until that crown is on, you’re told to avoid chewing on the tooth.
Our dentists do both. The team that treats the inside of your tooth also protects it afterward. The steps usually involve:
- X-rays you can see: We take low-dose digital X-rays and put them on a monitor, where you can see the infection and the roots with us.
- Numbing and a rubber dam: We numb the area with a local anesthetic and place a small rubber dam to keep the tooth clean and dry. If the nerve has already died, numbing may not even be needed.
- Cleaning and sealing: Our dentists remove the infected pulp, clean each canal, and fill it with a rubber-like material called gutta-percha. A tooth-colored filling closes the opening.
- A crown made here: We cover the tooth with a dental crown. For many patients, CEREC lets us finish that crown in one visit, without a temporary crown.
When We Refer You to an Endodontist
An endodontist is a dentist with two or more years of extra training in root canals. If a tooth has unusually complex canals, or an earlier root canal needs to be redone, we may refer you to one. Your crown can still be made here once that treatment is finished.
Root Canal or Extraction?
Pulling the tooth costs less on the day, but the gap usually needs a replacement later. When a tooth is cracked below the gum line, too broken to hold a crown, or short on bone support, tooth extraction may be the safer choice.
Comparing Options
| Root canal and crown | Extraction, then a dental implant | Extraction, then a dental bridge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keeps your natural tooth | Yes | No | No |
| Surgery | No | Yes, to place the implant | No, but the teeth on each side are shaped for crowns |
| Time to a finished tooth | Often one to three visits | Usually several months of healing | Usually a few weeks |
| Good for | A tooth with enough sound structure left | A tooth beyond repair | A tooth beyond repair, when an implant isn’t an option |
Root Canal Myths and What the Research Shows
Old stories keep many people from treating an infected tooth. The American Association of Endodontists answers the most common ones:
- “Root canals are extremely painful”: The pain people link to root canals usually comes from the infection, not the treatment. With the tooth numbed, patients often say it feels similar to getting a filling.
- “A root canal can make you sick”: The AAE says there’s no credible scientific evidence linking root canal treatment to cancer, heart disease, or other illness. The idea comes from early-1900s research that has since been discredited.
- “Root canals don’t last”: Success rates often exceed 90%. With a crown placed promptly and good care, a treated tooth can last a lifetime.
What Recovery Feels Like
Recovery usually takes a week or less. A typical timeline looks like this:
- The first few hours: Your lip and cheek stay numb for a while. Wait to eat until the numbness wears off, so you don’t bite your cheek or tongue.
- Days one to three: The tooth may feel tender, especially when you bite, and your jaw may ache from staying open. A cold compress and over-the-counter pain medicine usually help, and soft foods like yogurt, eggs, soup, and pasta are easy choices.
- Days three to five: Tenderness usually starts to fade, and symptoms often improve within three to five days.
- Until your crown is on: Avoid chewing hard foods on that side.
- If you were given antibiotics: Finish the full prescription as directed.
- After the first week: Brush and floss as usual, and keep your dental cleanings on schedule.
Call Desert Hills Dental Care if pain gets worse after a few days, swelling comes back, your bite feels uneven, or the pain you had before treatment returns.
How Much Do Root Canals Cost in Farmington, NM?
In New Mexico, a root canal often runs about $700 to $1,700 per tooth, before the crown gets added. Front teeth sit at the low end and molars at the high end, because molars have more canals. Your total depends on:
- Which tooth is treated
- Whether you need a crown afterward
- Whether the case needs a specialist
- Whether the tooth has had a root canal before
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a root canal take?
A root canal usually takes about 60 to 90 minutes. Molars can take longer because they have more canals, and some cases need a second visit.
Can I avoid a root canal?
You can’t avoid a root canal once the pulp is infected, because the infection won’t heal on its own. You can lower your risk of needing one by brushing twice a day, flossing, and having cavities and cracks repaired early.
Can I drive or go back to work after a root canal?
Yes, you can usually drive yourself home and go back to work the same day after a root canal done with local anesthetic. The numbing affects your mouth, not your alertness. If you’d like help relaxing, we offer sedation, and if you plan to use it, arrange a ride home and take the rest of the day off.
Does a front tooth need a crown after a root canal?
A front tooth doesn’t always need a crown after a root canal. If enough of the tooth is left, a filling may be all it needs. Back teeth, such as molars and premolars, often need one, so your dentist will recommend what fits the tooth being treated.
Is my tooth dead after a root canal?
Your tooth no longer has a living nerve after a root canal, but it isn’t lost. A fully grown tooth can stay healthy without its pulp, because the gum and bone around it keep nourishing it. Once it’s restored, it works like your other teeth, though it won’t feel hot or cold anymore.
Book Your Appointment in Farmington
The earlier we see an infected tooth, the better our chances of keeping it. Call our root canal dentists in Farmington at (505) 327-4863 or request an appointment online to schedule your root canal consultation at Desert Hills Dental Care.
Patients also come to us from Aztec, Bloomfield, Kirtland, and Shiprock.