What the treatment is
Inside every tooth is a chamber containing nerve and blood vessels. When decay or a crack lets bacteria into that chamber, the tissue inside dies and the space becomes infected. That infection has nowhere to go except out through the tip of the root into the bone, which is what an abscess is.
Root canal treatment removes the dead tissue, cleans and shapes the canals, and seals them. The tooth stays. The alternative is removing the tooth entirely.
What the appointment is like
- FreezingThe same local anaesthetic used for a filling, and the same test that it has worked before anything starts.
- A rubber sheetA small sheet isolates the tooth. It keeps the area dry and stops anything reaching the back of your throat, which is most of why the appointment is more comfortable than people expect.
- Cleaning the canalsThrough a small opening in the top of the tooth. This is the part that takes the time, and it is the part you feel least.
- SealingThe cleaned canals are filled and the opening closed.
- A crown, usuallyA tooth that has needed a root canal is more brittle. Most back teeth get a crown afterwards to stop them splitting.
How long, and how much it hurts
Sixty to ninety minutes for most teeth, sometimes across two visits if the infection is active. Front teeth are quicker than molars because they have fewer canals.
During: it should feel like a long filling. Tell the dentist if it does not, because more freezing is available and there is no prize for enduring it. After: tender to bite on for a few days, manageable with ibuprofen. The severe pain people associate with root canals is almost always the infection beforehand, not the treatment.
What it costs to wait
An infected tooth does not settle down on its own. Antibiotics can quieten it, which is why people sometimes conclude it has resolved, but they do not remove dead tissue from inside a tooth and the infection returns.
Waiting turns a tooth that could be saved into one that has to come out, and an extraction leads to a gap that costs more to fill than the root canal would have. There is no version of this where waiting is the cheaper option.
Common questions
Asked at the front desk.
How long does a root canal take?
Sixty to ninety minutes for most teeth, occasionally over two visits if the infection is active. Front teeth are quicker than molars.
Does a root canal hurt?
The tooth is frozen, so it should feel like a long filling. It is tender to bite on for a few days afterwards. The severe pain people associate with root canals is usually the infection beforehand.
Do I need a crown after a root canal?
Usually on a back tooth, yes. The tooth becomes more brittle and a crown stops it splitting. Front teeth sometimes do not need one.
Can I just have the tooth pulled instead?
You can, and sometimes that is the right call. But the gap then needs filling with an implant or a bridge, both of which cost more than the root canal and crown would have.
Next step
One phone call, and someone answers it.
3608 Carrington Rd #204, West Kelowna. Thursdays until 7pm, Fridays from 7am. Accepting new patients of every age.