Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy has a reputation it no longer deserves

A root canal is what we do when the pulp inside a tooth — the soft tissue containing nerves and blood vessels — becomes infected or inflamed. Left alone, that infection causes serious pain and eventually costs you the tooth.

The procedure removes the infected pulp, cleans and shapes the canal, and seals it. The tooth stays. That is the entire point: a root canal is not a painful procedure, it is the treatment for a painful problem.

Why it does not hurt the way people expect

Two things have changed. The first is anaesthesia, which is far better than it was a generation ago. The second is instrumentation — we use rotary endodontic instruments, which clean and shape the canal faster and more precisely than hand files, meaning a shorter appointment and a better seal.

Most patients tell us afterwards that the appointment was considerably less eventful than they had braced for, and that the relief was immediate.

Signs you may need one

• Persistent, throbbing tooth pain, particularly at night
• Prolonged sensitivity to hot or cold that lingers after the source is gone
• Pain when biting down or applying pressure
• A darkening tooth
• Swelling or tenderness in the gum near the tooth, or a pimple-like bump

Some infected teeth cause no symptoms at all and are found on a routine x-ray — one more argument for the six-month visit.

Afterwards

A tooth that has had a root canal is more brittle than it was, because it no longer has a blood supply. In most cases we will recommend a crown to protect it and restore full chewing strength. We will discuss that with you as part of the plan, not as a surprise afterwards.