You might recognise
- Pain that wakes you at night
- A tooth that hurts to bite on
- A single tooth that has darkened
- A lump on the gum that comes and goes
- Being told the tooth has to come out
Root Canal Treatment
Saving the tooth, not removing it
When the nerve inside a tooth becomes infected, you have two real options: take the tooth out, or clean the infection out and keep it. Root canal treatment is the second one. Most people find it far easier than they had braced themselves for.
Who this is for
Anyone with a tooth that has been aching, or that has been diagnosed as needing root canal treatment somewhere else and wants a second opinion before committing to it.
Also people with a tooth that has gone dark years after a knock, and people who have been told the only option left is to take it out. Sometimes that is true. Often it is not, and it is worth finding out which.
The signs
How you know the nerve is involved
Not every toothache needs root canal treatment. These are the patterns that usually mean it does.
Pain that lingers
A twinge with something cold that vanishes straight away is normal. Pain that carries on for minutes afterwards, or wakes you at night, points at the nerve.
Pain when you bite
A specific tooth that hurts when you press on it, or when you let go, often means the infection has reached the tip of the root.
A tooth that has darkened
One tooth going grey or brown next to its neighbours usually means the nerve inside has died. It can happen years after a knock.
Swelling or a gum boil
A small lump on the gum above a tooth, or facial swelling. Swelling needs to be seen quickly, not at your convenience.
The process
What actually happens in the chair
Finding out
We take an X-ray and test whether the nerve is alive. Sometimes the tooth causing the pain is not the one you think it is, which is why we check rather than assume.
Numbing
We numb the tooth and wait until it is properly numb before starting. If you can still feel anything, say so and we give more. Nobody should be enduring this quietly.
Clearing the infection
We open the top of the tooth, remove the infected tissue from inside the canals, then clean and shape them. This is the part that takes the time, and it is also the part you feel nothing of.
Sealing
The cleaned canals are filled and sealed so bacteria cannot get back in. Depending on the tooth, this happens at the same visit or the next one.
Protecting it afterwards
A treated tooth is more brittle than it was, especially a back tooth. A crown protects it from splitting. Skipping this is the most common reason a successful root canal ends in a lost tooth two years later.
Common questions
Root canal treatment, answered
The treatment itself should not hurt. We numb the tooth properly first and wait until it is fully numb. What hurts is the infection before treatment. Most people say the appointment felt like having a long filling. The tooth can feel tender for a few days afterwards.
Usually one or two visits for the root canal itself, plus a further visit if the tooth needs a crown. Front teeth have one canal and are quicker. Back teeth have three or four and take longer.
Yes, and sometimes that is the sensible choice. But a gap does not stay a gap. Neighbouring teeth drift and the opposing tooth drops down, and replacing the tooth later with a bridge or implant usually costs more than saving it now. We will give you both options honestly.
The pain often settles by itself once the nerve dies completely, which people mistake for the problem going away. The infection carries on at the root and eventually causes swelling or an abscess. Leaving it does not fix it.
It depends on which tooth and how many canals it has. You get the full price in writing after the assessment, before anything starts. Send us a WhatsApp for current prices.
A well treated and properly crowned tooth can last many years, often decades. The two things that shorten it are skipping the crown on a back tooth, and not keeping the gums around it healthy.
In pain right now?
Do not wait it out
We keep space each day for urgent cases. Tell us what you are feeling and we will fit you in.