Root Canal in New Bern

Get to the Root of Your Dental Issue

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Treatment Length

90 to 120 Minutes

Treatment Performed By

Dr. McGowen

Downtime

Up to 2 days

What It Treats

Lasting Tooth Pain

Tooth Sensitivity to Hot or Cold

Pressure Around Your Tooth or Gums

Swollen Gums or Jaw

Tooth Discoloration

Bad Taste in Your Mouth

About Root Canals

When the inner part of your tooth, known as the pulp, becomes infected, it may be time to schedule a root canal in New Bern with Dr. McGowen. She’ll clean out infected areas and ease the symptoms of infected tooth pulp:

Get to Know
Dr. McGowen

Too many providers deliver the same, cookie-cutter care to every patient—but not Dr. McGowen. She brings a personal, compassionate touch to your care every time.

Dr. McGowen takes your concerns and financial constraints into consideration to optimize your insurance benefits and delivers the best treatment plan to meet your needs.

Meet Dr. McGowen

Check Out What We Can Do

Use our Treatment Planning Tool to see how our services can address your dental and aesthetic concerns.

Let’s Get Started

Patients Love
Our Practice

Kim J

Great service. I love it there. Everybody is very nice and polite, and they are fast.

Patrick H

Evolve Dentistry and Aesthetics has a very helpful, conscientious administrative staff who ensured I received a timely appointment on short notice and as a new patient. Thank you, MAGGIE! The very experienced and competent dental assistant/technician, Lindy, was tops among those who have cared for my teeth during my 73 tears. Very personable, yet a down-to-business, no-wasting time professional. Thank you, LINDY! The new owner, Dr. Victoria H. McGowen, DMD, thoroughly checked the final result and is obviously a very confident and capable dentist and entrepreneur. New Bern is very fortunate to have Dr. McGowen and her team — they are upgrading dental care to the next level of technology and professional competence while maintaining their genuinely personable, good neighborliness. I am grateful they have me as a new patient, and I’ll definitely be going back. I highly recommend you visit Dr. Victoria McGowen and her team.

Patrick H

Lisa I

I was referred to Dr McGowen due to my intense dental anxiety. I was actively ignoring issues I knew needed to be addressed for well over a decade. Upon calling, I was offered an appt THE VERY NEXT DAY! I have never been treated with such kindness, patience, and understanding by any provider and staff to date. Dr. McGowan has many wonderful attributes. She is FAST, efficient & very communicative in her work. Her staff is just as top-tier as she is. Maggie, at the front desk, is precious and is going to remember your name when you walk in the door! Karen, who assisted Dr. McGowen for my work, literally made me feel like I was just hanging with the girls while I was getting my work done. The level of care and education provided by this practice, from check-in to check out, is unmatched by any dental office in eastern North Carolina. It's definitely well worth the hour-long drive there and back for me. Outside of Dr. McGowan being the most badass dentist, she is drop-dead gorgeous! If someone is going to be drilling in the back of my mouth, it sure does help when they have a pretty face and perfectly shaped brows. (All the girlies know you can always trust a girl with great brows 💁🏼‍♀️) Are you terrified of the dentist? Do you need a new dentist? Is your dentist not very cutesie? Do you love going places where you're treated like family? Evolve Dentistry and Aesthetics has you covered!

Lisa I

Brittany M

Lindy was great during my cleaning and explained what she was doing. After seeing Dr Holton for so many years, seeing Dr. McGowen was refreshing today. I look forward to seeing her for more of my care in the future! Very friendly and listens. From what…

Brittany M

Our Process

If you notice any persistent pain or other symptoms in your teeth, such as a large broken piece, it may be time to schedule a consultation. At this meeting, Dr. McGowen can identify if you need a root canal.

During a root canal, Dr. McGowen will drill a small hole in your tooth to access the pulp. Then we’ll clean out infected tissue methodically using several special instruments. Once everything is clean, we’ll seal off the roots to prevent any further infection.

After your root canal, we’ll temporarily seal the access for a few weeks and will recommend a crown in the near future to prevent further damage to your tooth.

How Root Canals Work

Root canals are necessary after your inner tooth pulp becomes infected or a fracture has left your nerve exposed or compromised.

Dr. McGowen will numb your mouth so you don’t feel any discomfort, then use precision dental instruments designed for root canals. With these tools, we can remove all signs of infection and make sure your tooth is sealed from future damage. Usually when a tooth needs a root canal, what’s left of the tooth is significantly weaker than your natural tooth. Due to this, we always recommend a crown on top to protect the tooth.

Start Your Evolution

Ready to work with Dr. McGowen? Just request your consultation today to get started!

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Related Services

View more about Periodontal Care

View more about Dental Sealants

View more about Screenings & X-Rays

Frequently Asked Questions

With poor oral hygiene, bacteria can spread more easily inside your mouth. Over time, this bacteria can even get inside your tooth pulp, causing inflammation. Bacteria can enter your teeth through both cavities and cracked or damaged teeth. This is why it is important to seek treatment promptly if you have tooth damage.

You can minimize the risk of tooth infections by maintaining a healthy oral hygiene routine. Brushing twice a day, flossing once a day, and visiting us for regular cleanings can all reduce your risk for tooth infections.

If you experience recurring pain or other symptoms in the same area of your mouth, you may have a dental issue that needs professional attention. Visiting us for a consultation will let us examine your issue and determine what next steps are appropriate.

Many patients discover they need further care when they come in for a regular dental exam, too. In general, you should visit Evolve Dentistry every 6 months for an exam and cleaning. During each exam, you’ll see Dr. McGowen, and she will always check for damage to your tooth pulp that may require a root canal.

Before your root canal, we examine your teeth to make sure they are clean and ready for the procedure. We’ll also give you some prescription antibiotics to better help your body reduce the infection. You’ll continue taking these antibiotics after treatment to make sure you’re best equipped to eliminate any infection.

Once your root canal in New Bern is complete, there are several simple steps to follow that will help your recovery. If we prescribed any antibiotics before your treatment, continue taking them as directed.

In addition, we may prescribe a steroid medication to help prevent any swelling in the area. Swelling can cause additional discomfort in your teeth and prolong your healing process, so this medicine will help reduce this risk.

You may notice some discomfort for a few days after your anesthesia wears off. We usually recommend over the counter pain relievers to help manage these symptoms.
Finally, avoid chewing or biting with the affected teeth for a few days to avoid aggravating the area. Over time, this sensitivity will diminish and you’ll be able to resume the normal usage for your teeth.

Our practice is fee-for-service, meaning that we operate as an out-of-network provider. We’ll be happy to file any insurance for you as a courtesy. In addition to insurance however, we can also help you pay for your treatment through financing!

We’ve partnered with CareCredit as our financing provider. You can use financing to pay for any of our services, including visiting for a root canal in New Bern. To take advantage of financing, just apply for CareCredit online. Once you’re approved, they’ll send you a CareCredit card.
Once you’ve been approved, you can schedule your treatment at Evolve Dentistry like normal. Just pay for your service with your CareCredit card, then you can pay it off over time with one of their flexible payment plan options.

You can also find loan payment options for treatment through Sunbit. This convenient resource makes it simple to secure a payment plan for your essential treatments. Plus, there’s no hard credit check.

Root Canal in New Bern