Modern root canal therapy is nothing like the horror stories, most patients report the procedure feels no different than getting a filling. Save your natural tooth and end the pain.
⭐ 500+ five-star reviews · MAGD Master of the Academy of General Dentistry · Diamond+ Invisalign Provider
The horror stories are 30 years out of date
The pain people associate with root canals is from before the root canal, the infected nerve causing the original toothache. The procedure itself, done with modern technique and proper anesthesia, feels no different than a filling.
If you’ve been putting off a root canal because of dental fear, ask about nitrous oxide, it makes the appointment fade into the background.
Save the tooth (almost always the right call)
Extraction creates more problems than it solves
Once a tooth is gone, the surrounding teeth start to shift, the opposing tooth starts to over-erupt, and the jawbone in that area begins to resorb. Replacing it later costs more than the root canal, implants run $3,500–$6,000.
For most teeth that can be saved, root canal + crown is the smarter long-term investment.
I avoided the dentist for almost eight years. Dr. Pedersen and her team made me feel completely safe, no judgment, no lecture, just a real plan I could afford. Two years in and I never miss a cleaning., Sarah M.
Complete care under one roof
Every service in the same office, with the same team that already knows your story.
Root canal therapy
Remove infected nerve tissue, seal the canal, restore with a crown.
Same-day emergency root canals
Severe pain triaged first thing every weekday morning.
Retreatment
Sometimes a previous root canal fails, we can often retreat rather than extract.
Crown after root canal
Most root-canaled teeth need a crown to prevent fracture, done in-house.
Sedation for anxious patients
Nitrous oxide and oral sedation options for stress-free treatment.
Apicoectomy
For rare cases where a standard root canal won’t resolve, surgical root-tip removal.
Root canal therapy
Remove infected nerve tissue, seal the canal, restore with a crown.
Same-day emergency root canals
Severe pain triaged first thing every weekday morning.
Retreatment
Sometimes a previous root canal fails, we can often retreat rather than extract.
Crown after root canal
Most root-canaled teeth need a crown to prevent fracture, done in-house.
Sedation for anxious patients
Nitrous oxide and oral sedation options for stress-free treatment.
Apicoectomy
For rare cases where a standard root canal won’t resolve, surgical root-tip removal.
Don’t wait, call as early as possible
If you’re in serious tooth pain, call 913-491-1200 as early in the day as possible. We hold emergency slots open every weekday morning specifically for situations like yours. The earlier you call, the more likely we can get you in.
Patient stories
What our patients actually say
Hundreds of 5-star reviews from real Shawnee, Johnson County, and Cass County families.
“I avoided the dentist for almost eight years. Dr. Pedersen and her team made me feel completely safe, no judgment, no lecture, just a real plan I could afford. Two years in and I never miss a cleaning.”
“We have four kids ranging from 6 to 17. Having one dental office that handles all of them, including my teenager’s Invisalign, has saved us so many hours of driving.”
“I’d been searching for a ‘natural dentist’ in Shawnee for two years. Finally found one that doesn’t make me feel weird for asking about my fillings.”
“Walked in convinced I needed a root canal. They diagnosed a cracked filling and fixed it the same day for a fraction of what I’d been quoted. Honest, fast, painless.”
“I avoided the dentist for almost eight years. Dr. Pedersen and her team made me feel completely safe, no judgment, no lecture, just a real plan I could afford. Two years in and I never miss a cleaning.”
“We have four kids ranging from 6 to 17. Having one dental office that handles all of them, including my teenager’s Invisalign, has saved us so many hours of driving.”
“I’d been searching for a ‘natural dentist’ in Shawnee for two years. Finally found one that doesn’t make me feel weird for asking about my fillings.”
“Walked in convinced I needed a root canal. They diagnosed a cracked filling and fixed it the same day for a fraction of what I’d been quoted. Honest, fast, painless.”
“Cracked a molar on a Tuesday morning. Called at 8am, was in the chair by 11 with a same-day temporary crown. They saved my workweek.”
“I’d been hiding my smile for a decade. Now I forget I have implants until someone compliments my teeth.”
“Quoted four veneers somewhere else. Dr. Pedersen showed me a digital preview and we ended up doing bonding on two teeth and whitening, same result, a fraction of the cost.”
“The Smile Club paid for itself in the first six months. As a freelancer with no insurance, this is the only reason I actually get my teeth cleaned twice a year now.”
“Cracked a molar on a Tuesday morning. Called at 8am, was in the chair by 11 with a same-day temporary crown. They saved my workweek.”
“I’d been hiding my smile for a decade. Now I forget I have implants until someone compliments my teeth.”
“Quoted four veneers somewhere else. Dr. Pedersen showed me a digital preview and we ended up doing bonding on two teeth and whitening, same result, a fraction of the cost.”
“The Smile Club paid for itself in the first six months. As a freelancer with no insurance, this is the only reason I actually get my teeth cleaned twice a year now.”
“Dr. Pedersen finished my Invisalign in eleven months. My old dentist (Bronze tier) had quoted twenty. Experience really does matter.”
“Having a Diamond+ Invisalign Provider this close to home meant my daughter didn’t have to miss school for every check-in. They explained everything to her like she was the patient, not me.”
“My six-year-old now asks when we get to go back to the dentist. That has never happened in any office before. The team is something else.”
“My implant looks better than the tooth it replaced. Every step explained, every cost in writing up front, zero surprises on the bill.”
“Dr. Pedersen finished my Invisalign in eleven months. My old dentist (Bronze tier) had quoted twenty. Experience really does matter.”
“Having a Diamond+ Invisalign Provider this close to home meant my daughter didn’t have to miss school for every check-in. They explained everything to her like she was the patient, not me.”
“My six-year-old now asks when we get to go back to the dentist. That has never happened in any office before. The team is something else.”
“My implant looks better than the tooth it replaced. Every step explained, every cost in writing up front, zero surprises on the bill.”
Visit us in Overland Park or Peculiar
Records and treatment plans travel with you between offices, so a move across the metro never means starting over with a new dentist.
Overland Park, KS
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Peculiar, MO
Get directionsService area
Who we see
Patients across Shawnee and Johnson County come to us for honest second opinions on whether a tooth can be saved.
In-network & financing
Most major PPO insurance accepted
We verify benefits before your appointment and file claims for you. No insurance? Ask about the Smile Club.
Frequently asked questions
Root canal therapy typically costs $800–$1,500 depending on the tooth (front teeth are simpler; molars are more complex). The crown afterward adds $1,200–$1,800. Most PPO insurance covers a significant portion.
No, the procedure is done with full local anesthesia and feels no different than a filling. The pain people associate with root canals is from the infection beforehand, not the treatment itself.
Most root canals are completed in 1–2 visits totaling 60–90 minutes each. Anterior teeth (front) can often be done in a single visit.
For most posterior teeth (molars and premolars), yes, a root canal removes the tooth’s internal blood supply, making the tooth more brittle. A crown protects against fracture. Front teeth sometimes don’t need a crown if the access opening can be sealed with composite.
Often yes, we can sometimes retreat a failed root canal rather than extracting the tooth. A 3D scan helps us evaluate whether retreatment is the right call.
Most PPO insurance covers root canal therapy at 50–80% as a basic restorative procedure. The crown is typically covered at 50% as a major restorative procedure.
Long-term success rates exceed 95%. Most root-canaled teeth with a properly placed crown last decades, often the rest of your life.
In severe pain? Call us first thing.
913-491-1200, we hold same-day emergency slots open every weekday morning specifically for root canal patients.
Request an appointment
We would love to hear from you. Send us a message and our team will reach out to get you scheduled.
