Three parts, two offices
A root canal is usually described as one procedure, but a tooth that needs one goes through three steps, and in Diamond Bar two of them happen at In Line Dentistry.
- The exam and diagnosis, here. Dr. Chon examines the tooth, takes the X-rays needed to see what is happening inside it, and gets you out of pain. He tells you plainly whether the tooth needs a root canal, whether it can be kept, or whether an extraction is the better call.
- The root canal itself, here or at an endodontist. When the tooth suits it, Dr. Chon does the root canal here; most cases he refers to an endodontist, a specialist in treating the inside of the tooth. Either way the procedure is the same: removing the infected tissue, cleaning the canals and sealing them.
- The crown afterwards, here. A treated back tooth usually needs a crown for long-term strength, and Dr. Chon does that at In Line, priced in writing before it starts.
Nothing in that sequence is hidden from you. At the exam you hear which parts happen where, and what the parts done here cost, before anything is planned.
What happens at the exam
The visit is the same new-patient visit: an exam, digital X-rays and a diagnosis, for $95 flat, or $0 with an active PPO plan, with no separate emergency fee. Dr. Chon's first job is getting you out of pain. He then explains what the X-rays show, whether the nerve inside the tooth is involved, and what the tooth needs. If it needs a root canal, he tells you at that same visit whether he will treat it here or refer you to an endodontist, and explains what to expect either way. If dental visits make you anxious, nitrous oxide is available; mention it when you book.
Dr. Chon sees patients on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and for a genuine emergency he comes in on other days. A tooth with swelling, a fever or pain that keeps you up is treated as an emergency; the emergency care page has how to reach the office, and the guide to getting a same-week appointment explains how the schedule works.
The endodontist visit, when you are referred
Most root canals Dr. Chon diagnoses are referred. An endodontist is a dentist with additional training in the inside of the tooth, and root canals are what they do. The procedure removes the infected or inflamed tissue inside the tooth, cleans and shapes the canals, and seals them, usually over one or two visits under local anesthetic. The endodontist sets and bills their own fee for this part, and Dr. Chon tells you at the exam that the referral is the plan, so you can ask the endodontist's office about cost before the visit.
The crown, back at In Line
A back tooth takes the full force of chewing, and once its inside has been treated it usually needs a crown to protect what is left. That is work Dr. Chon does here: the treated tooth is shaped, a crown is made to fit it, and it is fitted and checked. There is no published crown price, because it depends on the tooth, so the crown is priced in writing at your visit before it starts. The crowns and bridges page explains how a crown is made and how many visits it takes.
When an extraction is the alternative
Not every tooth can be saved. When too little sound tooth is left to hold a crown, or the crack runs too deep, taking the tooth out is the better call, and Dr. Chon does extractions here. Which way to go is decided at the exam, from what the X-rays show, and the choice is yours once the options are clear. The article on root canal or extraction walks through what tips the decision, and the tooth extractions page covers the procedure and what can replace the tooth afterwards.
What it costs, and how to pay
Everything done here is priced here, and exactly. The exam and X-rays are the new-patient visit, $95 flat, or $0 with an active PPO plan. The crown is priced in writing at your visit before it starts, and so is a root canal done here; when you are referred, the root canal is the endodontist's fee. If you have a PPO plan, In Line is in-network with Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Delta Dental, Guardian, Humana, MetLife and UnitedHealthcare; with any other PPO plan you pay at the visit, In Line files your claim the same day, and your insurer reimburses you. Financing for the work done here is available on approved credit through CareCredit, Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay, Sunbit, LendingClub and Proceed Finance. Every published price at the practice is on the Diamond Bar dental cost guide.