Our focus as a family dentist office in San Marcos TX is to provide each patient who enters our practice with the individual care that addresses their particular needs, concerns and desires. As an understanding and compassionate staff, we value each individual as a very important part of our practice and strive to meet their expectations. By utilizing todays dental technology and materials we hope to meet your expectations in providing you with a beautiful smile that is both comfortable and functional. As advances are made, we make it a priority to learn and improve our techniques to provide our patients with the best oral care. We desire to develop relationships with our patients that allow for thorough communication and understanding of their personal needs and expectations. We believe that spending quality time with each individual, to help them understand our recommendations, helps us to deliver quality care and improve their dental health.
Dr. Corey Carothers grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas. After high school, he attended Texas A&M University and graduated in 2002 with a degree in Biomedical Science. He then received his Doctor of Dental Surgery in 2006 from University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio where he received the Clinical Excellence Award.
Following graduation from dental school, Dr. Carothers was accepted to a post-doctoral residency in Advanced Education in General Dentistry at the Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, Texas. His advanced training had a strong clinical focus in aesthetics, dental materials, treatment planning, and clinical applications dealing with the medically compromised patient. Additionally, he holds a certification in Enteral Sedation.
Dr. Carothers moved to San Marcos with his wife, Dr. Catherine Carothers, in 2007. He felt that San Marcos would be the perfect community for raising a family and practicing alongside the best dentists in San Marcos TX. Dr. Carothers feels blessed to raise his four kids in San Marcos and to be a part of this community.
Dr. Carothers is an active member of the Academy of General Dentistry, American Dental Association, the Texas Dental Association, and the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce. He is currently an officer for the River District Dental Society. He had the privilege of serving for three years on the San Marcos Planning and Zoning Commission. He has been a member of the Wednesday Rotary organization since 2012 and has served on their board for the past two years.
In Dr. Carothers free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Catherine, and their four children, Cate, Christopher, and Charlie. The Carothers family enjoys doing anything that involves being outdoors.
Dr. Catherine Carothers grew up in Liberty, Texas. After high school, she attended The University of Texas at Austin and graduated in 2002 with a degree in Biology. She received her Doctor of Dental Surgery in 2006 from University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Dr. Carothers met her husband and fellow dentist, Dr. Corey Carothers, in dental school. Shortly after their wedding they moved to San Marcos to begin their careers and start a family together. Dr. Carothers had the opportunity to practice in several diverse clinical settings prior to joining Carothers Family Dental. She has extensive experience in treating children, which has been a great asset to this practice. In addition to practicing dentistry, Dr. Carothers also handles all practice administration responsibilities for Carothers Family Dental.
Dr. Carothers is an active member of the American Dental Association, the Texas Dental Association, and the River District Dental Society. She is involved in the San Marcos community and is a board member for YoungLife. Kids, community, and Christ are Dr. Carothers main priorities and fuel her desire to help where able.
In her free time, Dr. Carothers enjoys spending time with her husband Corey and their four children. Being a mother is her favorite job. She can be found volunteering at her childrens school, helping with after school activities, and doing anything and everything her family needs. She also enjoys traveling, reading a good book, and being outdoors.
Dr. Madelyn Swinney Bagley grew up in San Marcos, Texas. After graduating from San Marcos High School, she attended Texas State University, graduating summa cum laude. Dr. Bagley was mentored by Drs. Carothers and Dr. Sullivan during an internship at Carothers Family Dental, confirming her interest in pursuing a profession in dentistry.
Dr. Bagley received her Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, achieving higher honors and the Clinical Excellence Award. Dr. Bagley is continually furthering her education as an active member of the American Dental Association, the Texas Dental Association, and the Academy of General Dentistry.
Dr. Bagley strives to provide patient-centered dental care and is committed to help each patient reach their optimum oral health. She is proud to be a part of the Carothers Family Dental team and to serve her hometown community.
Root canal treatment has developed a widely negative reputation causing it to be one of the more intimidating procedures commonly performed. While hearing the phrase root canal is enough to make many people shudder, in reality, patients often compare it to be as mild as getting a filling. Knowing the facts about a root canal procedure and knowing the signs of when you might need one should help ease any tension you might feel toward it!
While many people refer to a root canal as a procedure, this is not the case. The root canal is a part of your tooth that is made up of nerves and vessels that run from the very bottom of the tooths root (deep inside your gums) to the pulp of your tooth. The pulp is the area underneath the protective enamel covering of your tooth that houses all of the soft tissue, blood vessels, and nerves. Root canal treatment is the process that is needed when an infection starts to develop within that pulp chamber, in the canal, or when an abscess forms underneath the root of the tooth. The root canal procedure is thought to be an uncomfortable one, but in reality, root canal treatment will actually relieve the patient of ongoing discomfort.
There are a lot of different things that can cause infection on the pulp chamber or root canal of the tooth, and it can be difficult to know the original source of the problem. More importantly, knowing the signs of the problem can help you avoid increased discomfort and ongoing complications by getting yourself to the dentist when you start to notice them. A few symptoms and signs that you have an infection and might need root canal treatment include:
During root canal treatment, the patient will typically be under local anesthesia. Then, in order to remove the infected tissue, an access hole is opened into the pulp chamber down to the root of the tooth (through the canal of the root). Next, the dentist will use a file to scrub the access hole free of any remaining tissues, removing any infection or diseased pulp, flushing away any debris with sterile liquids. After everything is removed, the dentist will then fill the canal completely and then seal the access hole like a typical filling. Then a crown may be needed to protect the remaining tooth structure and return function of the tooth.
If an infection has gone too far, it is possible that your only option will be to get the tooth extracted (remove the tooth entirely). While this might sound easier, the biggest benefit of getting root canal treatment instead of a tooth extracted is that you get to keep your real tooth. If you get a tooth removed, then you will need to have a fake tooth implanted in order to keep your teeth in place and retain your chewing abilities, but this option should only be a last resort. Getting root canal treatment is the best option if possible and will get rid of discomfort while keeping your natural teeth in place!