General Information

This is the most frequently asked question! In most cases, yes, we do take your insurance. When you make your appointment, the most efficient way for us to look into your specific benefits is to have all of your information ready. As your appointment nears, we will contact your insurance company to get the most up-to-date benefit information. When we call or email to confirm your appointment, we will review any estimated co-pay due at the time of treatment. It is also advised that you contact your provider for any questions you may have or for a detailed explanation of benefits.

The insurance plans we are currently contracted with:

• Aetna PPO
• Assurant PPO
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO
• Cigna PPO
• Compdent PPO and HMO
• Delta Premier Plan (not the same as PPO)
• DNOA PPO and HMO
• Guardian PPO
• Humana PPO
• Metlife PPO

In most cases, we will schedule you for a consultation and root canal therapy in the same visit. You should allow yourself an hour and a half. If you have registered online before your visit, you are welcome to arrive right at your scheduled appointment time. However, if you are unable to register beforehand, there will be some paperwork to fill out preceding your appointment. In this case, we would appreciate it if you could allow yourself an additional thirty minutes.

We will take every measure to ensure that your procedure is in no way uncomfortable or painful. If treatment is needed, we will inject a small amount of anesthesia to gently numb a concentrated area of your mouth. For most patients, the feeling of numbness usually subsides after 2-3 hours.

Yes. This is a very frequently asked question. For the procedure, you will be given local anesthetic, similar to what you would experience with any other type of dental procedure, such as a crown or filling. We do have nitrous oxide available for your comfort, for an additional fee. If this is an option you are interested in, please feel free to let us know when you make your appointment.

Most patients will experience mild soreness, particularly to biting or chewing, for a few days. Everyone's rate of healing is different; some patients have discomfort for one day, some for a week. However, if you experience anything beyond mild discomfort, or if you develop any facial swelling, please call the office.

We recommend that you take an anti-inflammatory, such as ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) following your procedure. If you can not take ibuprofen, than acetaminophen (Tylenol) would be the next best thing. In certain instances, Dr. Benson will prescribe you an antibiotic, and/or possibly a stronger narcotic for pain. All instructions regarding medication will be thoroughly reviewed with you before you leave, and you will also be given written instructions. 

Yes! In fact most of our patients ask for the first appointment in the morning, or even come on their lunch break. The area of your mouth that is worked on will be numb for 1-3 hours following your procedure, but it should not interfere at all with your day to day activities.

You can and should eat, but slowly and with caution. Your mouth will be patially numb, so care should be taken to not bite your cheek, tongue or lip. Most patients are comfortable eating something soft. It is a good idea to have food in your stomach before taking medication, so if you are not planning on eating afterwards, be sure and have breakfast or lunch beforehand.

There are the newly-installed City of Chicago Pay boxes on the streets surrounding the office, at a rate of two dollars per hour. The new pay boxes accept quarters or credit/debit cards, but no cash. There are two parking lots, one directly south and one directly west, that charge a fee of between six and eight dollars for the day. If you have access to public transportation, this is also a great option.

Yes! The Clinton Blue Line station is one block north of the office at Clinton and Harrison. Union Station is four short blocks north on Clinton if you are traveling from the southern or western suburbs. Ogilvie Transportation Center is seven blocks north on Clinton if you are traveling from the northern or western suburbs.

The Loop bus routes that stop at Clinton and Harrison are as follows: #7, 38, 60, 125, 157, and 157. 

For a detailed public transportation map, please visit:

www.transitchicago.com/maps/maps/200806D.html 

Yes. You will not be sedated for your appointment. Local anesthetic will be administered, similar to how you would feel for a typical dental visit such as a crown or filling.

We recommend that you call your restorative dentist as soon as possible to make your follow-up appointment. Dentists' schedules tend to book quickly. It is recommended that you have your permanent restoration placed around two weeks after your procedure, but not longer than six weeks. This step is imperative for the long-term prognosis of your tooth.

The filling placed in the biting surface of your tooth is designed to last ideally two to four weeks, not longer than six to eight weeks. It is crucial to see your general dentist for a permanent restoration. Waiting longer than eight weeks can cause your temporary filling to leak, thus contaminating your newly completed root canal therapy.

In most cases, you will only see us for one visit. In rare cases, such as retreatments of previous root canals, or other specific instances, we may have you on a recall schedule, usually ranging from three to six months. However, those recall appointments are very brief, usually just requiring a digital image. It is at no cost to you. A card will be sent in the mail to remind you to come in.