Common Dental Procedures: A Review of Fillings, Root Canals, and Extractions

Common Dental Procedures: A review of common dental procedures such as fillings, root canals, and extractions, including what to expect during the procedure, recovery time, and cost.

It can get scary or at least intimidating to go to the dentist to do some common dental procedures. The big chairs, the X-ray machines, and the buzzing sounds might overwhelm you or at least overstimulate your imagination.

Perhaps knowing about these dental procedures should help you brace yourself for what’s in store for you instead of having to deal with the unknown.

People visit the dental center for all sorts of reasons. Here are the 10 most common procedures, all of which you can get from the Thantakit Dental Center in Thailand. They’re actually more affordable to avail of in Thailand by virtue of dental tourism.

Fillings

It’s easy for most to get cavities, even if they brush their teeth regularly. Fillings are the dentist’s answer to these holes in your tooth’s enamel.

Dental cavities or caries happen whenever food acids or bacterial waste products from plaque eat away at the outer shell of your teeth, leading to the development of holes or cracks. A filling can cover up that hole through a relatively quick procedure.

First, you’ll get anesthesia on the affected tooth, which should last for a few hours after the filling is put on the cavity. It roughly takes an hour to do the procedure. You might feel pressure as the cavity is drilled of diseased portions, but it shouldn’t be painful.

You’re discouraged to eat anything solid for 24 hours after the filling has filled in your cavity. You should also avoid eating chewing gum or cracker nuts with teeth that have filling in them from now on.

Fillings in the U.S. cost an average of $100 to $150 depending on the material used. It’s $50 to $150 for a single-tooth silver amalgam filling. It’s $90 to $250 per tooth for tooth-colored composite filling. It’s $250 to $4,500 per tooth for single, cast-gold or porcelain fillings.

All of these are single-surface operation prices. Their price should multiply in accordance with the surfaces involved.

Incidentally, the five tooth surfaces are:

• Distal (Back of the Tooth)

• Mesial (Front of the Tooth)

• Occlusal (Top of the Tooth)

• Facial (Side of the Tooth Facing the Cheek)

• Lingual (Side of the Tooth Facing the Tongue)

In Thantakit, fillings cost ฿1,500 ($44) per tooth. If it’s a two-surface operation, it’s ฿2,500 ($73) per tooth. For a three-surface operation, it’s ฿3,500 ($102) per tooth. For a four-surface operation, it’s ฿4,500 ($131) per tooth.

Root Canals

Endodontic treatment has gotten an infamous reputation for how painful it can be. This shouldn’t be a surprise; it involves removal of an entire tooth root or nerve ending. However, the alternative to this is intense tooth pain until nerve death occurs.

The dentist basically deadens the nerve and removes affected tissue to fix tooth root inflammation. Sometimes, you might need to take an antibiotic first before proceeding.

• What is a Root Canal? The root canal is the canal containing tissue under or inside your tooth. If it’s infected or inflamed because of cavities or tooth decay, you can resolve the condition and save your teeth by removal of the root canal tissue.

• What is a Root Canal Treatment? The root canal or endodontic procedure in modern times is a relatively painless procedure for root canal tissue removal because of the advancements in anesthetics.

• Is a Root Canal Treatment Painful? No. You’ll feel pressure as the tissue is removed, the root canal is cleaned, and inert material is put inside the tooth, followed by a crown or cap to protect the remaining tooth structure.

• How Much is a U.S. Root Canal? According to the American Dental Association, a root canal in the U.S. costs from $300 to $2,000 or more on average.

• How Much is a Thantakit Root Canal? At Thantakit Dental Center, a root canal only costs ฿10,000 ($291) for the anterior-incisor tooth, ฿13,000 ($378) for the premolar tooth, and ฿16,000 ($465) for the molar tooth.

• What’s the Cost for Retreat Root Canals and Root Filling? An additional ฿1,000 to ฿2,000 ($29 to $58) is added for a retreat root canal. Meanwhile, the root filling costs about ฿1,000 to ฿2,000 ($29 to $58) as well.

Extractions

Tooth extractions might sound painful and scary, but sometimes they’re necessary. If you can’t afford a root canal or plan to save for a future tooth implant, it’s your best way to treat an infected or dying tooth.

Some teeth are loose and can fall by themselves, such as milk teeth or permanent teeth with advanced periodontal disease. Others require assistance for removal.

A dentist will do everything they can to save a tooth, from fillings to veneers and crowns. However, once extraction becomes your only option, they’ll also do everything they can to keep you comfortable.

When pulling your teeth, you’ll either be thoroughly numbed with local anesthetic or put to sleep with general anesthesia. The idea here is to mitigate pain as much as possible. Yes, you’ll be sore after, but extractions are designed to prevent agony from an infected tooth.

Single-root tooth extraction recovery time usually takes about 7 days. You need a week to get the hole to close and heal. If the tooth is large with several roots, the wounds should close after 3 weeks instead.

However, complete healing and elimination of the hole of a multi-root tooth extraction may take a few more months or so.

A simple tooth extraction costs Americans an average of $75 to $200 per tooth depending on how difficult the procedure is. In contrast, extracting an impacted tooth (usually wisdom teeth) costs from $800 to $4,000.

At Thantakit, a regular tooth extraction costs ฿1,500 to ฿2,500 ($44 to $73). A complicated tooth extraction costs ฿2,500 to ฿3,500 ($73 to $102) instead. Extracting a fully erupted wisdom tooth can cost ฿4,000 ($116).

As for a partially impacted wisdom tooth, it’s ฿5,000 to ฿9,000 ($145 to $262). Finally, a fully embedded wisdom tooth costs from ฿10,000 to ฿15,000 ($291 to $436).

Teeth Cleanings

The most common reason people visit dentists at least twice a year is to get their teeth cleaned. The prophylaxis treatment is much more thorough than what you can do at home with your toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, and mouthwash.

It’s recommended that you have your teeth cleaned every six months or more. Some are even willing to go with once-a-year cleaning. Regardless, teeth cleaning should be part of your oral health.

• Why is Teeth Cleaning Important? It’s your dentist’s way of keeping tabs at the state of your teeth. They can even recommend x-rays and inspections for certain conditions, like periodontal disease and forming cavities.

• What are the Benefits of Teeth Cleaning? Indeed, semi-annual or annual cleanings involve little discomfort while at the same time ensuring your teeth will remain strong, shiny, and healthy all along.

• What’s the Cost of Teeth Cleaning in the U.S.? A routine teeth cleaning in the U.S. can range from $75 to $200. On average, it costs Americans around $125 per session. Checkup and consultation are an additional $50 to $200.

• What’s the Cost of Teeth Cleaning at Thantakit? At Thantakit, it costs ฿1,500 to ฿2,000 ($44 to $58) to do a full mouth cleaning and polishing for adults. Cleaning with the Air-Flow System is ฿1,500 ($44).

• What’s the Cost of Checkup and Consultation at Thantakit? The checkup and consultation cost from ฿300 to ฿1,000 ($9 to $29). If you’re maintaining your Invisalign, it’s ฿2,000 ($58) instead.

• What’s the Cost of Teeth Cleaning for Children at Thantakit? As for children, it costs ฿1,000 to ฿1,500 ($29 to $44) to do a full mouth cleaning and prophylaxis. Fluoride application for kids is ฿800 ($23).

Teeth Whitening

Another popular reason for people to go to the dentist is to get their stained teeth whitened. It’s a process that’s relatively free of discomfort, just like dental cleaning and prophylaxis.

However, some patients might showcase sensitivity to whitening agents. For those who don’t, it’s a straightforward treatment that most dental clinics, centers, hospitals, and offices could accomplish.

You can also avail yourself of teeth whitening kits, but they might take extra effort and time on your part to use. Sometimes, it’s best to let the professionals handle this cosmetic procedure.

In-office dental bleaching is safer and quicker because it’s performed by professional, certified dentists, like the internationally trained ones available at Thantakit Dental Center.

Usually, a special hydrogen peroxide whitening gel is applied to the teeth before they’re exposed to a special light source for relatively quick bleaching action. Other times, a laser is used.

There’s no recovery period for teeth whitening. Sensitivity of the gum and teeth is common, but they should resolve within days.

In the U.S., laser whitening costs $400 to $1,800. LED whitening like Philips ZOOM! costs $300 to $1,000 instead.

At Thantakit, the Philips ZOOM! Whitespeed Teeth Whitening costs ฿12,000 ($349). The center also offers a special promotion worth ฿10,000 ($291) that gives you 4 cycles of whitening in a single session.

Veneers

If you have discolored or crooked teeth, one way to fix them instantly is to use veneers. They’re wafer-thin shells placed over your tooth enamel—usually your front teeth—to cover or alter the shape or color of your natural teeth.

These thin restorations cover the front section of the tooth or a set of teeth. The underlying enamel has to be prepped to allow the veneers to stick to the teeth though.

• What are Veneers? Veneers are mainly correctional restorations, like the wafer-thin front teeth version of the cap or crown. It’s a procedure that’s relatively painless and simple as well. Most dentists, whether they’re general practitioners or specialists, could perform this process.

• How Much are Veneers in the U.S.? Veneers can usually cost between $925 to $2,500 per tooth, depending on the material used. This is according to the data from the American Dental Association. Composite veneers can cost from $400 to $2,000 per tooth as well.

• How Much are Veneers at Thantakit? At Thantakit, a composite veneer costs 6,000. A full ceramic/porcelain “e.Max” veneer costs ฿18,000 ($525) and comes with a 2-year warranty. A zirconia veneer costs ฿18,000 ($525) as well and also comes with a 2-year warranty.

• How Much are DSD Veneers at Thantakit? A porcelain “eMax” or zirconia veneer with Digital Smile Design (DSD) costs ฿22,000 ($642) and has a 2-year warranty as well. The center has a special promo of giving you ฿20,000 ($584) veneers per tooth if you’re getting veneers for 8 teeth or more.

Crowns

If a cavity is too large for a filling to fill you might need a crown. It’s the same deal if it’s the top part of your tooth that’s decayed. The decay should be so severe that you can’t use alternative restorations like inlay (deep cavities) or onlay (wide cavities).

A crown is a restoration or denture placed atop a damaged tooth to cover it and protect the rest of its structure.

Like fillings, installing a crown on a damaged tooth shouldn’t be overtly painful as long as the tooth root itself hasn’t gotten infected. If there’s infection or inflammation on that level, you should get a root canal or endodontic treatment instead.

Typically, the dentist should take a mold of your affected tooth so that the dental laboratory can finely craft a crown to cover for the decayed area.

You’ll then be given a rough estimate of the temporary crown while you wait for the lab to manufacture your permanent crown. Some dental centers use CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing) to make same-day scans and crown manufacturing.

There are also dental offices that have dental printers that can print your new crown/s as soon as your tooth is or teeth are scanned.

These centers use a special X-ray and computer combo to take scans or photos of the tooth to make crafting a crown as accurate and easy as possible. The second visit is usually the time when you’re fitted with the new crown, which is also a fast and painless affair.

Crowns can range from $500 to $2,000 or more in price depending on the material used and how complicated the fitting itself is. Additional charges can include making the mold, scanning or taking an x-ray of the tooth, prepping the tooth for crown fitment, and so forth.

At Thantakit, a stainless crown for kids is ฿3,500 ($102) per tooth. A zirconia crown for kids is ฿7,000 to ฿8,000 ($204 to $233) per tooth. This is part of their pediatric dentistry promo.

For adults, a PFM (Porcelain fused to Metal) crown costs ฿15,000 ($438) per tooth, a Full Ceramic/Porcelain “e.Max” crown costs ฿22,000 ($642), and a zirconia crown also costs ฿22,000 ($642), all of which include a 2-year warranty.

Take Care of Your Oral Health

Overcome your fear of the dentist to take better care of your oral health. Modern dentistry has actually advanced so much that they’re less painful than your grandfather’s dentistry.

The best internationally trained dental doctors will do their utmost to make you feel comfortable as you get work on your teeth or gums done. It certainly helps to know more about these common dental procedures when push comes to shove.

You can particularly get some dependable and cost-effective dental care through Thailand dental tourism. Go to the Thantakit International Dental Center for some affordable dental procedures.

Thantakit International Dental Center is Thailand’s longest established dental center. Situated in Bangkok, our clinic is renowned across the world as a destination for world-class dentistry, with most of our patients flying to us from Australia.

Please contact us today and get a FREE dental consultation.