Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment saves a tooth whose nerve has become inflamed or infected, which is usually what causes a deep, throbbing toothache that keeps you up at night. Modern root canal treatment feels much like getting a filling, and it usually ends the pain.

When you need one

Deep decay, a crack or an old large filling can let bacteria reach the soft tissue inside the tooth, called the pulp. Warning signs include:

• Throbbing pain, especially at night or when you bite
• Sensitivity to hot or cold that lingers
• A tooth that's turning darker, or a pimple-like swelling on the gum

If it's left untreated, the infection spreads, and a tooth that could have been saved may have to come out.

How root canal treatment works

1. We numb the area with local anaesthetic, so you feel pressure but no pain. For anxious patients we take this step especially slowly.
2. We remove the infected pulp, then clean and disinfect the canals inside the root.
3. We fill and seal the canals so bacteria can't get back in.
4. We rebuild the tooth with a filling or a crown. Most back teeth need a crown to stay strong long term.

Most treatments take one or two visits.

What patients ask us

Is it painful? The treatment itself isn't, because it's done under anaesthetic. The tooth may be tender for a few days afterwards, which ordinary painkillers handle.

Isn't it cheaper to pull the tooth out? On the day, yes. But the gap then needs an implant, bridge or denture, which costs more than the root canal would have. Keeping your own tooth is almost always the better long-term choice.

How urgent is it? Toothache that wakes you at night rarely goes away by itself. The sooner you come in, the simpler and cheaper the treatment.

In pain now? Message us on WhatsApp and we'll see you as soon as we can.